Bacteria Genomes - RALSTONIA SOLANACEARUM

Ralstonia solanacearum is a Gram-negative , aerobic, motile rod bacteria from the Pseudomonas family, whose genome is G+C rich (69%) and organised on 2 chromosomes.

It causes extremely harmful plant disease, with a number of unique features, that makes it a model system for plant pathogenicity. Found worldwide, the bacterium is well-adapted to life in the soil, where it waits for a host plant to inhabit. It causes southern wilt in over 200 species by infecting the host's roots and invading the xylem vessels. Typically, the stem cross-sections ooze a whitish bacterial exudate. R. solanacearum is also the agent of the Moko disease in bananas and brown rot in potatoes.

This wide host range allows for study of an array of virulence factors. Ralstonia uses dozens of genes to produce attachment factors and inject proteins into the host through a secretion system.

References:

Nature 2002, 415 (6871):497-502
http://www.nature.com/genomics/papers/r_solanacearum.html
http://www.genoscope.cns.fr/
http://www.bspp.org.uk/publications/pathprofiles/pathprofile15.htm