Investigating the diversity and function of secreted Clavibacter effectors
Gitta Coaker: University of California
<div><em>Clavibacter michiganensis</em> subsp. <em>michiganensis </em>(<em>Cmm</em>) is a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen that proliferates in tomato xylem vessels causing bacterial canker disease. Bacterial canker can cause substantial losses in greenhouse and field production systems. Investigations of the molecular basis of pathogenicity have been primarily performed on the reference strain <em>Cmm</em> NCPPB832. In this study, we used a combination of short and long read sequencing technologies generate high quality genome sequences for 11 <em>Cmm</em> strains isolated from field-grown tomatoes in California. We performed a comparative genomic analyses to identify conserved secreted type II effector proteins. The largest classes of conserved secreted <em>Cmm</em> effectors were serine proteases and carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). Glycome profiling revealed that <em>Cmm</em> strains were able to extensively and specifically alter tomato cell-wall composition, likely through CAZyme activity. The conservation and function of specific conserved <em>Cmm</em> effectors will be reported. Collectively, these data provide a more comprehensive understanding of <em>Cmm</em> diversity and virulence strategies.</div>
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