Isolation and characterization of induced disease resistance (ISR)-deficient mutants of a biocontrol bacterium Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6.

Lipopolysaccharide, siderophore, and cyclic dipeptide have been shown to be necessary for ISR induction by pseudomnads. However, there is no report on cloning of genes or generating specific mutants involving in ISR activity. A biological control bacteium P. chlororaphis O6 induces resistance to Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovara SCCI in tobacco and induces drought resistance in Arabidopsis. To isolate genes involved in ISR activity and induction of drough resistance of O6, we constructed Tn5 mutants and were used to screen for ISR activity and drought resistance activity using microtiter assay with tobacco and Arabidopsis. Thirty-three ISR-deficient mutants were selected, and the nine ISR-deficient mutants were also lost activity of drought resistance. The flanking sequence analysis of the ISR and drought resistance-deficient mutants showed that a gacS gene encoding a two-component sensor kinase, and a mce gene encoding a protein involved in mycobacterial cell entry were mutated. The flanking sequence of each Tn5 mutant altered ISR activity is currently under investigation. These results indicate that gacS and mce are important genes in induction of ISR activity and drought resistance of P. chlororaphis O6. Our works will open opportunities for identification of bacterial genes or traits that are involved in ISR activity and induced drought resistance of P. chlororaphis O6.