RT Journal Article
T1 AraC-Family Transcriptional Regulator WhpR Controls Virulence in Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi Through Regulation of Indole Metabolism.
A1 Arroyo Mateo, Antonio
A1 Leal López, Jesús
A1 Rodríguez-Moreno, Luis Gabriel
A1 Ramos-Rodríguez, Cayo Juan
K1 Pseudomonas
K1 Bacterias fitopatógenas
K1 Relaciones planta-patógeno
K1 Olivos - Enfermedades y plagas
K1 Plantas leñosas - Enfermedades bacterianas
K1 Virulencia (Microbiología)
K1 Genómica
AB The Pseudomonas syringae complex WHOP genomic island underpins virulence in woody hosts by mediating the catabolism of aromatic compounds. However, the biochemical functions of the ipoABC and dhoAB operons and the regulatory gene whpR remain unknown. Comparative genomics revealed WHOP-like clusters beyond P. syringae, found in diverse plant-associated, environmental and clinical bacteria, including indole degraders. We propose that ipoABC and dhoAB mediate indole degradation via anthranilate, linking indole detoxification to central metabolism through the β-ketoadipate pathway. In the olive pathogen P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi, ipoABC promotes indole degradation, indigo production, cell aggregation and biofilm formation. WhpR, an AraC-family regulator structurally related to CuxR and ToxT, defines a regulon comprising repression of most WHOP operons along with genes outside this region, including trpAB, reflecting integrated regulation of indole catabolism and tryptophan biosynthesis. In line with the observed transcriptional repression of WHOP genes, deletion of whpR led to hypervirulence and significantly altered bacterial fitness in woody olive plants. These findings define the WHOP region as a regulatory hub linking indole detoxification, multicellular behaviour and virulence, emerging as a target for novel control strategies against woody plant diseases.
PB Wiley
YR 2025
FD 2025-10-21
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/40568
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/40568
LA eng
NO Arroyo-Mateo, A., J. Leal-López, L. Rodríguez-Moreno, and C. Ramos. 2025. “ AraC-Family Transcriptional Regulator WhpR Controls Virulence in Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi Through Regulation of Indole Metabolism.” Microbial Biotechnology 18, no. 10: e70247. https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70247.
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 21 ene 2026