Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
High-Throughput Identification of Resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato in Tomato using Seedling Flood Assay
Published on: March 10, 2020
Identification of tomato plant as a novel host model for Burkholderia pseudomallei
Yian Hoon Lee1, Yahua Chen, Xuezhi Ouyang
1Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, 117597, Singapore.
Background:
Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent for melioidosis, a disease with significant mortality and morbidity in endemic regions. Its versatility as a pathogen is reflected in its relatively huge 7.24 Mb genome and the presence of many virulence factors including three Type Three Secretion Systems known as T3SS1, T3SS2 and T3SS3. Besides being a human pathogen, it is able to infect and cause disease in many different animals and alternative hosts such as C. elegans.
Results:
Its host range is further extended to include plants as we demonstrated the ability of B. pseudomallei and the closely related species B. thailandensis to infect susceptible tomato but not rice plants. Bacteria were found to multiply intercellularly and were found in the xylem vessels of the vascular bundle. Disease is substantially attenuated upon infection with bacterial mutants deficient in T3SS1 or T3SS2 and slightly attenuated upon infection with the T3SS3 mutant. This shows the importance of both T3SS1 and T3SS2 in bacterial pathogenesis in susceptible plants.
Conclusions:
The potential of B. pseudomallei as a plant pathogen raises new possibilities of exploiting plant as an alternative host for novel anti-infectives or virulence factor discovery. It also raises issues of biosecurity due to its classification as a potential bioterrorism agent.
Insights
Burkholderia pseudomallei, a cause of melioidosis, can infect plants like tomatoes, with Type Three Secretion Systems 1 and 2 crucial for plant pathogenesis. This discovery opens avenues for new anti-infectives and virulence factor research.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Plant Pathology
- Bacterial Pathogenesis
Background:
- Burkholderia pseudomallei causes melioidosis, a significant disease in endemic areas.
- This bacterium possesses a large genome and multiple virulence factors, including three Type Three Secretion Systems (T3SS1, T3SS2, T3SS3).
- B. pseudomallei infects humans, animals, and invertebrates like C. elegans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of B. pseudomallei and B. thailandensis as plant pathogens.
- To determine the role of T3SS1, T3SS2, and T3SS3 in bacterial pathogenesis in plants.
Main Methods:
- Infection assays using B. pseudomallei and B. thailandensis on tomato and rice plants.
- Microscopic examination of bacterial colonization within plant tissues (intercellularly and in xylem).
- Assessment of disease severity using bacterial mutants deficient in T3SS1, T3SS2, or T3SS3.
Main Results:
- B. pseudomallei and B. thailandensis successfully infected susceptible tomato plants but not rice plants.
- Bacteria were observed to multiply intercellularly and within the xylem vessels of infected plants.
- Infection with mutants lacking T3SS1 or T3SS2 significantly attenuated disease, while T3SS3 deficiency caused slight attenuation, highlighting the importance of T3SS1 and T3SS2.
Conclusions:
- B. pseudomallei demonstrates potential as a plant pathogen, expanding its host range.
- Plants may serve as alternative hosts for discovering novel anti-infectives and virulence factors.
- The findings raise biosecurity concerns due to B. pseudomallei's classification as a potential bioterrorism agent.
More Related Videos
09:05Tomato Root Transformation Followed by Inoculation with Ralstonia Solanacearum for Straightforward Genetic Analysis of Bacterial Wilt Disease
Published on: March 11, 2020
05:03Direct Observation and Automated Measurement of Stomatal Responses to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 in Arabidopsis thaliana
Published on: February 9, 2024