THE VON BODMAN LAB

We investigate how the pathogenic bacterium Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii colonizes the xylem of maize during Stewart’s wilt disease development. We believe that the host infection process is guided by a fundamental bacterial developmental process and involves temporally defined phases congruent with bacterial biofilm differentiation. An acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL)-specific quorum sensing mechanism plays a key role in governing the transition between key developmental phases. This approach to studying Stewart’s wilt disease allowed us to demonstrate that P. stewartii is a motile bacterium in direct contradiction to the formal taxonomic classification as a non-motile organism. Dissecting the infection process in a developmental context will provide a more detailed understanding of the molecular infection process, and thus can reveal potential new targets for disease control.