Chapter 13 - Knock, knock-let the bacteria in: enzymatic potential of plant associated bacteria

Abstract

Beneficial bacteria associated with plants have evolved for thousands of years together with their hosts to an intricate communication system that allow the recognition and penetration into plant tissues without harming them. Within the molecules involved in this communication system, the enzymes produced by the bacteria have an important role and some of them have been shown essential at first steps of plant colonization. In this chapter, we analyze the implication of some of the most well-known enzymes related to plant probiotic bacteria and their hosts, the steps at which these enzymes participate to allow the recognition by the plants and the bacterial penetration into their inner tissues. Between these enzymes we will examine the importance of (i) cellulases, produced by important plant growth promoters to penetrate plant tissues; (ii) chitinases, implicated in the defense of the plant against fungi and recognition by the plants; (iii) lectins, implicated in the attachment and first recognition steps; (iv) pectinases, which are usually expressed early during infection, in the penetration steps; and (v) xylanases, implicated in the recycling at senescence, amongst others. The upregulated expression of some of these enzymes in plant growth promoting bacteria was surprising at first, as they would be expected in pathogens, not in mutualistic microorganisms. However, as more data are available, the implication of hydrolytic enzymes in beneficial plant colonization is become clear.