ArticlePLoS pathogens2023
Complete functional analysis of type IV pilus components of a reemergent plant pathogen reveals neofunctionalization of paralog genes.
Article in PLoS pathogens, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Genome Evolution in Plant Pathogenic Bacteria.Genome biology and evolution · 2026Review
- Local Thermal Adaptation in an Insect-Transmitted Plant Pathogen: The Role of Virulence Trade-Offs.Evolutionary applications · 2026Article
- The stoichiometry of minor-to-major pilins regulates the dynamic activity of the type IVa competence pilus in Vibrio cholerae.PLoS genetics · 2026Article
- Natural competence in the bacterial pathogen Xylella fastidiosa varies across genotypes and is associated with adhesins.PLoS pathogens · 2025Article
- A pathogen of good taste: genetics of a bacterial host jump of the plant pathogenMicrobial genomics · 2025Article
- Tad pili with adaptable tips mediate contact-dependent killing during bacterial predation.Nature communications · 2025Article
- The molecular basis for DNA-binding by competence T4P is distinct in a representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative species.PLoS pathogens · 2025Article
- XadA-like adhesin XADA2 regulates biofilm formation in X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa putatively by engaging oleic-acid derived oxylipins.Molecular biology reports · 2025Article
- Naturally competent bacteria and their genetic parasites-a battle for control over horizontal gene transfer?FEMS microbiology reviews · 2025Review
- From cactus to crop: genomic insights of a beneficial and non-pathogenic Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens strain and the evolution of its pathosystem.Molecular genetics and genomics : MGG · 2024Article
- Probable Role of Type IV Pili ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Type IV pilus (TFP) is a multifunctional bacterial structure involved in twitching motility, adhesion, biofilm formation, as well as natural competence. Here, by site-directed mutagenesis and functional analysis, we determined the phenotype conferred by each of the 38 genes known to be required for TFP biosynthesis and regulation in the reemergent plant pathogenic fastidious prokaryote Xylella fastidiosa. This pathogen infects > 650 plant species and causes devastating diseases worldwide in olives, grapes, blueberries, and almonds, among others. This xylem-limited, insect-transmitted pathogen lives constantly under flow conditions and therefore is highly dependent on TFP for host colonization. In addition, TFP-mediated natural transformation is a process that impacts genomic diversity and environmental fitness. Phenotypic characterization of the mutants showed that ten genes were essential for both movement and natural competence. Interestingly, seven sets of paralogs exist, and mutations showed opposing phenotypes, indicating evolutionary neofunctionalization of subunits within TFP. The minor pilin FimT3 was the only protein exclusively required for natural competence. By combining approaches of molecular microbiology, structural biology, and biochemistry, we determined that the minor pilin FimT3 (but not the other two FimT paralogs) is the DNA receptor in TFP of X. fastidiosa and constitutes an example of neofunctionalization. FimT3 is conserved among X. fastidiosa strains and binds DNA non-specifically via an electropositive surface identified by homolog modeling. This protein surface includes two arginine residues that were exchanged with alanine and shown to be involved in DNA binding. Among plant pathogens, fimT3 was found in ~ 10% of the available genomes of the plant associated Xanthomonadaceae family, which are yet to be assessed for natural competence (besides X. fastidiosa). Overall, we highlight here the complex regulation of TFP in X. fastidiosa, providing a blueprint to understand TFP in other bacteria living under flow conditions.
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