Research Groups
Bacteriology and Plant Bacteriology
Research Interests and Description
Research Interests
Bacterial inter-cellular communication (quorum sensing) in rice associated bacteria.
Description of Research
The Bacteriology Group is interested in bacteria-bacteria intercellular signaling (quorum sensing) and plant-bacteria communication (inter-kingdom signaling) in plant associated Gram-negative bacteria. Our working models for studying bacterial intercellular communication are N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs), which, to date, are the most commonly used quorum sensing signals. Specific interests focus on the role of AHL quorum sensing in plant pathogenic, as well as in plant beneficial interactions. In addition, mechanisms of plant-bacteria inter-kingdom signaling involving plant signals and bacterial proteins are also being investigated.
More specifically, current research interests in the Bacteriology Group are centered on the roles of:
1. signaling and sharing of public goods in establishing multispecies communities in the olive-knot disease. In this model, the pathogen Pseudomonas savastanoi establishes a consortium with the bacterial non-pathogenic resident Erwinia toletana. Both bacteria benefit from this interspecies community leading to a more aggressive disease. Mechanisms of interspecies signaling and establishment of a stable multispecies community both in vivo and in vitro are being studied.
2. Quorum sensing in the recently established beneficial plant associated Burkholderia cluster. Many Burkholderia spp. belonging to this new species group colonize the plant rhizosphere (eg. B. xenovorans, B. uname, B. kururiensis), are endophytes (eg. B. kururiensis, B. phytofirmans) or form nodules (eg. B. phymatum) with certain plant species. It is of interest to study the role of quorum sensing in these Burkholderia sp. in establishing communities.
3. LuxR solos in bacteria that have a quorum sensing system and hence produce AHLs and in bacteria that do not.
4. Quorum sensing in rice associated bacteria in their interaction with the rice plant. In particular, we are studying inter-kingdom signaling between Xanthomonas oryzae and the rice plant via sensing of a plant compound by a bacterial LuxR family protein. In addition, we are also working on quorum sensing in the emerging rice pathogen Pseudomonas fiuscovaginae.
5. The role of QS in stabilizing communities and avoiding cheater mutants from affecting the colonization and growth of a bacterial consortium, and the construction of bacterial communities via synthetic biology. Both wet laboratory experiments and in silico approaches are used in collaboration with the ICGEB Bioinformatics Group of Sándor Pongor.
Recent Publications
Hosni, T., Moretti, C., Devescovi, G., Suarez-Moreno, Z.R., Fatmi, M.B., Guarnaccia, C., Pongor, S., Onofri, A., Buonaurio, R., Venturi, V. 2011. Sharing of quorum-sensing signals and role of interspecies communities in a bacterial plant disease. ISME J doi: 10.1038/ismej.2011.65 PubMed link
Mattiuzzo, M., Bertani, I., Ferluga, S., Cabrio, L., Bigirimana, J., Guarnaccia, C., Pongor, S., Maraite, H., Venturi, V. 2011. The plant pathogen Pseudomonas fuscovaginae contains two conserved quorum sensing systems involved in virulence and negatively regulated by RsaL and the novel regulator RsaM. Environ Microbiol 13, 145-162 PubMed link
Subramoni, S., Gonzalez, J.F., Johnson, A., Pechy-Tarr, M., Rochat, L., Paulsen, I., Loper, J.E., Keel, C., Venturi, V. 2011. Bacterial Subfamily of LuxR Regulators that Respond to Plant Compounds. Appl Environ Microbiol 77, 4579-4588 PubMed link
Degrassi, G., Devescovi, G., Bigirimana, J., Venturi, V. 2010. Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae contains an AroQg chorismate mutase that is involved in rice virulence. Phytopathology 100, 262-270 PubMed link
Suarez-Moreno, Z.R., Devescovi, G., Myers, M., Hallack, L., Mendonca-Previato, L., Caballero-Mellado, J., Venturi, V. 2010. Commonalities and differences in regulation of N-acyl homoserine lactone quorum sensing in the beneficial plant-associated Burkholderia species cluster. Appl Environ Microbiol 76, 4302-4317 PubMed link
Venturi, V., Bertani, I., Kerenyi, A., Netotea, S., Pongor, S. 2010. Co-swarming and local collapse: quorum sensing conveys resilience to bacterial communities by localizing cheater mutants in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PLoS One 5, e9998 PubMed link
