A bacterial effector uncovers a metabolic pathway involved in resistance to bacterial wilt disease

Abstract

Bacterial wilt caused by the soil-borne pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum is a devastating disease worldwide. Upon plant colonization, R. solanacearum replicates massively, causing plant wilting and death; collapsed infected tissues then serve as a source of inoculum. In this work, we show that the metabolic pathway mediated by pyruvate decarboxylases (PDCs), activated in response to low oxygen and involved in drought stress tolerance, contributes to resistance against bacterial wilt disease. Arabidopsis and tomato plants with deficient PDC activity are more susceptible to bacterial wilt, and treatment with either pyruvic acid or acetic acid (substrate and product of the PDC pathway, respectively) enhances resistance. An effector protein secreted by R. solanacearum, RipAK, interacts with PDCs and inhibits their oligomerisation and enzymatic activity. This work reveals a metabolic pathway involved in resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and a bacterial virulence strategy to promote disease and the completion of the pathogenic life cycle.