Publications

3537

AbstractPhotosynthesis is a fundamental biogeochemical process, thought to be restricted to a few bacterial and eukaryotic phyla. However, understanding the origin and evolution of phototrophic organisms can be impeded and biased by the difficulties of cultivation. Here, we analyzed metagenomic datasets and found potential photosynthetic abilities encoded in the genomes of uncultivated bacteria within the phylum Myxococcota. A putative photosynthesis gene cluster encoding a type-II reaction center appears in at least six Myxococcota families from three classes, suggesting vertical inheritance of these genes from an early common ancestor, with multiple independent losses in other lineages. Analysis of metatranscriptomic datasets indicate that the putative myxococcotal photosynthesis genes are actively expressed in various natural environments. Furthermore, heterologous expression of myxococcotal pigment biosynthesis genes in a purple bacterium supports that the genes can drive photosynthetic processes. Given that predatory abilities are thought to be widespread across Myxococcota, our results suggest the intriguing possibility of a chimeric lifestyle (combining predatory and photosynthetic abilities) in members of this phylum.

AbstractPlant pathogens can alter the behavior of their insect vectors as well as their survival and reproduction. The African psyllid, Trioza erytreae, is one of the vectors of Huanglongbing, a citrus disease caused mainly by “Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus” (CLas). The purpose of this study was to characterize the effects of CLas on the psyllid, T. erytreae using Citrus volkamerina plants as the study system. The study focused more specifically on the CLas effects prior to and after its acquisition by the psyllid T. erytreae. Our results did not support the hypothesis that CLas effects psyllid probing behavior prior to acquisition; few differences were observed between uninfected T. erytrea feeding on CLas‐infected versus control plants. On the other hand, compared to psyllids that had completed their development on control plants, the ones that had completed their development on a CLas‐infected plant exhibited changes in their behavior (greater velocity), physiology (smaller mass) and biochemistry (lower water and lipid content). Altogether, our results confirm the existence of a marked postacquisition effect on the vector locomotor behavior and a minor preacquisition effect of CLas on the vector behavior, which can be partially explained by physiological and biochemical changes.

Highly purified cultures of alkaliphilic aceticlastic methanogens were collected for the first time using methanogenic enrichments with acetate from a soda lake and a terrestrial mud volcano. The cells of two strains were non-motile rods forming filaments. The mud volcano strain M04Ac was alkalitolerant, with the pH range for growth from 7.5 to 10.0 (optimum at 9.0), while the soda lake strain Mx was an obligate alkaliphile growing in the pH range 7.7–10.2 (optimum 9.3–9.5) in the presence of optimally 0.2–0.3 M total Na+. Genomes of both strains encoded all enzymes required for aceticlastic methanogenesis and different mechanisms of (halo)alkaline adaptations, including ectoine biosynthesis, which is the first evidence for the formation of this osmoprotectant in archaea. According to 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, the strains possessed 98.3–98.9% sequence identity and belonged to the obligately aceticlastic genus Methanothrix with M. harundinaceae as the most closely related species. However, a more advanced phylogenomic reconstruction based on 122 conserved single-copy archaeal protein-coding marker genes clearly indicated a polyphyletic origin of the species included in the genus Methanothrix. We propose to reclassify Methanothrix harrundinacea (type strain 8AcT) into a new genus, Methanocrinis gen. nov., with the type species Methanocrinis harrundinaceus comb. nov. We also propose under SeqCode the complete genome sequences of strain MxTs (GCA_029167045.1) and strain M04AcTs (GCA_029167205.1) as nomenclatural types of Methanocrinis natronophilus sp. nov. and Methanocrinis alkalitolerans sp. nov., respectively, which represent other species of the novel genus. This work demonstrates that the low energy aceticlastic methanogenesis may function at extreme conditions present in (halo)alkaline habitats.

AbstractHuanglongbing (HLB, or citrus greening disease) affects all citrus varieties world-wide. In the USA, Asia, and South America the causal agent is “CandidatusLiberibacter asiaticus” (CLas), a phloem-limited, uncultured, alphaproteobacterium. The hemipteran insect vector,Diaphorina citri(Asian citrus psyllid) acquires and transmitsCLas in a circulative, propagative manner. In addition toCLas,D. citrihosts multiple symbiotic bacteria includingWolbachia(wDi). InD. citri, wDi has been sequenced and studied but specific roles inD. citribiology are unknown. Using well established quantitative PCR methods we measuredCLas titer inD. citricollected from four groves in central Florida with distinct HLB management strategies and tested whetherCLas and wDi titer were correlated in a sub-set of these insects. Grove site had the largest effect onCLas titer. Sex had no effect onCLas titer, while higher wDi titer was correlated withCLas-uninfected insects. Our results suggest that more directed follow-up research is necessary and important to clarify whether field management tactics influenceCLas titer inD. citriand to better understand gene-by-environment interactions amongD. citri, wDi andCLas. Now that millions of trees in Florida have been treated with injectable formulations of oxytetracycline, which is likely to decrease bacterial populations inD. citri, this study may represent the last biologically meaningful snapshot of grove-level vector-pathogen ecology in the state during the HLB epidemic.

Phytoplasmas are phloem-limited plant pathogens, such as sugarcane white leaf (SCWL) phytoplasma, which are responsible for heavy economic losses to the sugarcane industry. Characterization of phytoplasmas has been limited because they cannot be cultured in vitro. However, with the advent of genome sequencing, different aspects of phytoplasmas are being investigated. In this study, we developed a DNA enrichment method for sugarcane white leaf (SCWL) phytoplasma, evaluated the effect of DNA enrichment via Illumina sequencing technologies, and utilized Illumina and Nanopore sequencing technologies to obtain the complete genome sequence of the “Candidatus Phytoplasma sacchari” isolate SCWL1 that is associated with sugarcane white leaf in China. Illumina sequencing analysis elucidated that only 1.21% of the sequencing reads from total leaf DNA were mapped to the SCWL1 genome, whereas 40.97% of the sequencing reads from the enriched DNA were mapped to the SCWL1 genome. The genome of isolate SCWL1 consists of a 538,951 bp and 2976 bp long circular chromosome and plasmid, respectively. We identified 459 protein-encoding genes, 2 complete 5S-23S-16S rRNA gene operons, 27 tRNA genes, and an incomplete potential mobile unit (PMU) in the circular chromosome. Phylogenetic analyses and average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values based on the sequenced genome revealed that SCWL phytoplasma and sugarcane grassy shoot (SCGS) phytoplasma belonged to the same phytoplasma species. This study provides a genomic DNA enrichment method for phytoplasma sequencing. Moreover, we report the first complete genome of a “Ca. Phytoplasma sacchari” isolate, thus contributing to future studies on the evolutionary relationships and pathogenic mechanisms of “Ca. Phytoplasma sacchari” isolates.

AbstractRecent outbreaks of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’ resulted in severe losses in potatoes, vegetable crops and grapevines in certain regions of Austria and constituted a major challenge for seed potato production. Therefore, the effects of various insecticides and insect deterrents on pathogen spread were studied both in laboratory and field experiments from 2018 to 2021. In laboratory transmission experiments, field captured Hyalesthes obsoletus were caged on differently treated Catharanthus roseus for five days. The insecticides lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, acetamiprid and chlorpyriphos showed the most rapid impact on insect survival and fully prevented phytoplasma transmission. The particle film forming products kaolin and diatomaceous earth had some effect. A transfer of the promising laboratory results to potato fields, however, was achieved to a limited extent only. Treatments with pyrethroids and acetamiprid every 8–10 days over the flight period of H. obsoletus roughly halved the number of symptomatic plants and tubers in case of moderately susceptible varieties and moderate infection pressure. In the event of susceptible varieties and high disease pressure, treatment effects were hardy discernible. In practical terms, the experiments indicate that insecticide applications alone are not sufficient to mitigate the disease. Spraying of diatomaceous earth and mineral oil did not affect disease incidence in the field.