Browsing by Author "Dangl, Jeffery L."

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    Comparative Genomics of Multiple Strains of Pseudomonas cannabina pv. alisalensis, a Potential Model Pathogen of Both Monocots and Dicots
    Sarris, Panagiotis F.; Trantas, Emmanouil A.; Baltrus, David A.; Bull, Carolee T.; Wechter, William Patrick; Yan, Shuangchun; Ververidis, Filippos; Almeida, Nalvo F.; Jones, Corbin D.; Dangl, Jeffery L.; Panopoulos, Nickolas J.; Vinatzer, Boris A.; Goumas, Dimitrios E. (PLOS, 2013-03-28)
    Comparative genomics of closely related pathogens that differ in host range can provide insights into mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions and host adaptation. Furthermore, sequencing of multiple strains with the same host range reveals information concerning pathogen diversity and the molecular basis of virulence. Here we present a comparative analysis of draft genome sequences for four strains of Pseudomonas cannabina pathovar alisalensis (Pcal), which is pathogenic on a range of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. These draft genome sequences provide a foundation for understanding host range evolution across the monocot-dicot divide. Like other phytopathogenic pseudomonads, Pcal strains harboured a hrp/hrc gene cluster that codes for a type III secretion system. Phylogenetic analysis based on the hrp/hrc cluster genes/proteins, suggests localized recombination and functional divergence within the hrp/hrc cluster. Despite significant conservation of overall genetic content across Pcal genomes, comparison of type III effector repertoires reinforced previous molecular data suggesting the existence of two distinct lineages within this pathovar. Furthermore, all Pcal strains analyzed harbored two distinct genomic islands predicted to code for type VI secretion systems (T6SSs). While one of these systems was orthologous to known P. syringae T6SSs, the other more closely resembled a T6SS found within P. aeruginosa. In summary, our study provides a foundation to unravel Pcal adaptation to both monocot and dicot hosts and provides genetic insights into the mechanisms underlying pathogenicity.
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    Genome-Wide Assessment of Efficiency and Specificity in CRISPR/Cas9 Mediated Multiple Site Targeting in Arabidopsis
    Peterson, Brenda A.; Haak, David C.; Nishimura, Marc T.; Teixeira, Paulo J. P. L.; James, Sean R.; Dangl, Jeffery L.; Nimchuk, Zachary L. (PLOS, 2016-09-13)
    Simultaneous multiplex mutation of large gene families using Cas9 has the potential to revolutionize agriculture and plant sciences. The targeting of multiple genomic sites at once raises concerns about the efficiency and specificity in targeting. The model Arabidopsis thaliana is widely used in basic plant research. Previous work has suggested that the Cas9 off-target rate in Arabidopsis is undetectable. Here we use deep sequencing on pooled plants simultaneously targeting 14 distinct genomic loci to demonstrate that multiplex targeting in Arabidopsis is highly specific to on-target sites with no detectable off-target events. In addition, chromosomal translocations are extremely rare. The high specificity of Cas9 in Arabidopsis makes this a reliable method for clean mutant generation with no need to enhance specificity or adopt alternate Cas9 variants.
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    Genomic features of bacterial adaptation to plants
    Levy, Asaf; Gonzalez, Isai Salas; Mittelviefhaus, Maximilian; Clingenpeel, Scott; Paredes, Sur Herrera; Miao, Jiamin; Wang, Kunru; Devescovi, Giulia; Stillman, Kyra; Monteiro, Freddy; Alvarez, Bryan Rangel; Lundberg, Alvarez Derek S.; Lu, Tse-Yuan; Lebeis, Sarah; Jin, Zhao; McDonald, Meredith; Klein, Andrew P.; Feltcher, Meghan E.; Rio, Tijana Glavina; Grant, Sarah R.; Doty, Sharon L.; Ley, Ruth E.; Zhao, Bingyu Y.; Venturi, Vittorio; Pelletier, Dale A.; Vorholt, Julia A.; Tringe, Susannah G.; Woyke, Tanja; Dangl, Jeffery L. (Nature Publishing Group, 2018-01-01)
    Plants intimately associate with diverse bacteria. Plant-associated bacteria have ostensibly evolved genes that enable them to adapt to plant environments. However, the identities of such genes are mostly unknown, and their functions are poorly characterized. We sequenced 484 genomes of bacterial isolates from roots of Brassicaceae, poplar, and maize. We then compared 3,837 bacterial genomes to identify thousands of plant-associated gene clusters. Genomes of plant-associated bacteria encode more carbohydrate metabolism functions and fewer mobile elements than related non-plant-associated genomes do. We experimentally validated candidates from two sets of plant-associated genes: one involved in plant colonization, and the other serving in microbe-microbe competition between plant-associated bacteria. We also identified 64 plant-associated protein domains that potentially mimic plant domains; some are shared with plant-associated fungi and oomycetes. This work expands the genome-based understanding of plant-microbe interactions and provides potential leads for efficient and sustainable agriculture through microbiome engineering.