Transcriptional regulation and mutational analysis of a dctA encoding organic acid transporter protein from Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6.

A dctA gene encoding a protein with identity to a C4-dicarboxylate/H+ was cloned from a beneficial biocontrol bacterium, P. chororaphis O6. Expression of the dctA was induced in minimal medium by several organic acids and was repressed by glucose. Highest expression was observed in early-log cells grown on fumarate and succinate with decline as cells approached late-log phase. The dctA transcript accumulated weakly when cells were grown on malate but strong expression was observed with benzoate. Expression of the dctA transcript was repressed in early-log cells upon addition of glucose to fumarate, but was detected as the cell culture aged. A dctA-deficient mutant of O6, constructed by marker exchange mutagenesis, did not grow on minimal medium containing succinate, benzoate, or fumarate, and growth on malate was delayed. The dctA mutant and wild type grew equally on glucose. The dctA mutant on cucumber roots in sterilized potting soil was colonized at levels comparable to those of the wild type, but induction level of disease resistance by the mutant against target leaf spot disease was decreased. These results may indicate that the dctA is essential for utilization of certain organic acids and its expression is controlled by the availability of sugars. In addition, the dctA is not essenitial for cucumber root colonization, but important for induction of disease resistance.