1. Genomic erosion and horizontal gene transfer shape functional differences of the ExlA toxin in Pseudomonas spp.
- Author
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Viviana Job, Laura Gomez-Valero, Adèle Renier, Christophe Rusniok, Stephanie Bouillot, Viviane Chenal-Francisque, Erwan Gueguen, Annie Adrait, Mylène Robert-Genthon, Katy Jeannot, Peter Panchev, Sylvie Elsen, Marie-Odile Fauvarque, Yohann Couté, Carmen Buchrieser, and Ina Attrée
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Genetics ,Microbiology ,Science - Abstract
Summary: Two-partner secretion (TPS) is widespread in the bacterial world. The pore-forming TPS toxin ExlA of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is conserved in pathogenic and environmental Pseudomonas. While P. chlororaphis and P. entomophila displayed ExlA-dependent killing, P. putida did not cause damage to eukaryotic cells. ExlA proteins interacted with epithelial cell membranes; however, only ExlAPch induced the cleavage of the adhesive molecule E-cadherin. ExlA proteins participated in insecticidal activity toward the larvae of Galleria mellonella and the fly Drosophila melanogaster. Evolutionary analyses demonstrated that the differences in the C-terminal domains are partly due to horizontal movements of the operon within the genus Pseudomonas. Reconstruction of the evolutionary history revealed the complex horizontal acquisitions. Together, our results provide evidence that conserved TPS toxins in environmental Pseudomonas play a role in bacteria-insect interactions and discrete differences in CTDs may determine their specificity and mode of action toward eukaryotic cells.
- Published
- 2022
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