The virulence of numerous Gram-negative bacteria is under the control of a quorum sensing process based on synthesis and perception of N-acyl homoserine lactones. Rhodococcus erythropolis, a Gram-positive bacterium, has recently been proposed as a biocontrol agent for plant protection against soft-rot bacteria, including Pectobacterium. Here, we show that the γ-lactone catabolic pathway of R. erythropolis disrupts Pectobacterium communication and prevents plant soft-rot. We report the first characterization and demonstration of N-acyl homoserine lactone quenching in planta. In particular, we describe the transcription of the R. erythropolis lactonase gene, encoding the key enzyme of this pathway, and the subsequent lactone breakdown. The role of this catabolic pathway in biocontrol activity was confirmed by deletion of the lactonase gene from R. erythropolis and also its heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. The γ-lactone catabolic pathway is induced by pathogen communication rather than by pathogen invasion. This is thus a novel and unusual biocontrol pathway, differing from those previously described as protecting plants from phytopathogens. These findings also suggest the existence of an additional pathway contributing to plant protection.

Mud1 insertion mutants of Escherichia coli were obtained in which the lac structural genes were fused to the promoter of torA, a gene encoding the trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) reductase. Expression of the fusion is induced by TMAO and repressed by oxygen. However, in contrast to the nar operon which codes for the nitrate reductase structural genes, the tor::Mud1 fusion was found to be independent of the positive control exerted by the nirR gene product and not repressed by the molybdenum cofactor. The torA gene which is strongly linked to pyrF (28.3U) is different from any tor gene already described in E. coli or in Salmonella typhimurium.

In accordance with previous results, the activity of extracellular proteases from Pseudomonas fluorescens MFO is maximal at a growth temperature of 17.5°C, well below the optimal growth temperature. In addition, the activities of three periplasmic phosphatases display the same growth temperature optimum. Chemostat experiments have shown that it is the growth temperature itself and not the value of the growth rate that regulates these activities. In contrast, a foreign periplasmic phosphatase, expressed under the control of its own promoter, displays a different sensitivity toward temperature. We conclude that in the psychrotrophic strain P. fluorescens MFO, growth temperature exerts a specific control upon the activity of certain enzymes. The critical temperature (17.5C) is within the range of normal growth, suggesting that this control is probably different from a cold shock or heat shock response.Pseudomonas fluorescens is well known as a major psychrotrophic contaminant of raw milk stored in refrigerated tanks (16). Many studies of this bacterium have been concerned with the production of deleterious extracellular enzymes, such as thermostable proteases (8,15,27). Among the numerous observations concerning these enzymes, it has been repeatedly shown that most strains maximally produce proteases at a temperature (15 to 20°C) well below the optimal growth temperature (25 to 30°C) (13,19,25). However, no studies have yet dealt with the mechanism of regulation of protease production with regard to temperature.At this stage two main questions can be raised regarding the elucidation of this mechanism. The first one relates to the specificity of this temperature effect, i.e., whether it is restricted to the production of proteases or extended to the production of other enzymes. To this end, the activities of extracellular proteases as a function of growth temperature were compared with those of several periplasmic phosphatases. The exported enzymes all showed the same regulation by temperature even though they are clearly differentially regulated by other growth conditions. Thus, it was important to determine whether this temperature effect might involve protein export through the cytoplasmic membrane. If so, any foreign exported protein should be submitted to the same effect. The expression of a gene from the mesophilic species Escherichia coli, under the control of its own promoter, was studied in P. fluorescens at different growth temperatures. In this case, a temperature effect similar to that observed with the native enzymes was not demonstrated.The second question is whether the temperature itself is the direct cause of the regulation or an indirect effector acting through the growth rate variation; such an indirect effect has indeed been demonstrated for several activities or proteins in mesophilic bacteria (5). To answer this question, the activities of the two acidic phosphatases were assayed in cells grown in a chemostat at two different temperatures and * Corresponding author. several dilution rates. The ...

Potato cultivation has a strategic role as a food source for the human population. Its promising future development relies on improving the control of the numerous microbial diseases that affect its growth. Numerous and recent studies on the potato rhizosphere, mycorrhizosphere and endorhiza reveal the presence of a diverse and dense microbial community. This microbial community constitutes a rich source for plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and biocontrol agents. So far, the beneficial effects achieved are related to microbial siderophores, antibiotics, biosynthesis of surfactants and phytohormones, nutrient and spatial competition, mycoparasitism, induced systemic resistance, phage therapy, quorum quenching and construction of transgenic lines. Considering the crucial role for food and the diversity of mechanisms involved in growth promotion and microbial protection, potato constitutes a historical and accurate model in developing new biocontrol strategies.