Hcp2, a Secreted Protein of the Phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato DC3000, Is Required for Fitness for Competition against Bacteria and Yeasts

Abstract

ABSTRACTWhen analyzing the secretome of the plant pathogenPseudomonas syringaepv. tomato DC3000, we identified hemolysin-coregulated protein (Hcp) as one of the secreted proteins. Hcp is assumed to be an extracellular component of the type VI secretion system (T6SS). Two copies ofhcpgenes are present in theP. syringaepv. tomato DC3000 genome,hcp1(PSPTO_2539) andhcp2(PSPTO_5435). We studied the expression patterns of thehcpgenes and tested the fitness ofhcpknockout mutants in host plant colonization and in intermicrobial competition. We found that thehcp2gene is expressed most actively at the stationary growth phase and that the Hcp2 protein is secreted via the T6SS and appears in the culture medium as covalently linked dimers. Expression ofhcp2is not inducedin plantaand does not contribute to virulence in or colonization of tomato orArabidopsisplants. Instead,hcp2is required for survival in competition with enterobacteria and yeasts, and its function is associated with the suppression of the growth of these competitors. This is the first report on bacterial T6SS-associated genes functioning in competition with yeast. Our results suggest that the T6SS ofP. syringaemay play an important role in bacterial fitness, allowing this plant pathogen to survive under conditions where it has to compete with other microorganisms for resources.