Possible Association of Indole-3-Acetic Acid Production by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines with Development of Pustule Disease in Soybean

This report concerns the role of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in bacterial pustule disease of soybean. Pustule production in soybean leaves caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines was accompanied by a drastic increase in IAA content of host tissues. The phytopathogenic bacterium synthesized IAA in a tryptophan concentration-dependent manner when grown in a defined minimal medium. In complex media, however, the pathogen showed no response to tryptophan feeding, implying that the bacterial biosynthetic machinery of IAA is strictly regulated by nutrient availability of its growth environments. The results may suggest that IAA of bacterial origin and tryptophan of plant origin be involved in the process of pustule symptom development in soybean.