Relationship of Bacterial Cell Surface Hydrophobicity and Charge to Pathogenicity, Physiologic Race, and Immobilization in Attached Soybean Leaves

Abstract

Cell surface hydrophobicity and charge were compared for pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. glycines, strains representing three physiologic races of Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea, and strains of several other phytopathogenic bacteria previously examined (electron microscopy) for active immobilization in soybean leaves. Three methods were utilized to determine cell surface hydrophobicity and one method for cell surface change. Based on hydrophobic interaction chromatography, bacterial strains that were actively immobilized in attached soybean leaf intercellular spaces had lower cell surface hydrophobicity than those which were not immobilized. Two additional assays of cell surface hydrophobicity gave conflicting results. Variation in relative cell surface hydrophobicities of bacterial strains was related to method. However, all three methods gave similar results when strains of Salmonella with known relative surface hydrophobicities were tested Bacterial cell surface charge was not related to in planta immobilization.