Fis is a global regulator critical for modulation of virulence factor production and pathogenicity of Dickeya zeae

Dickeya zeae is the causal agent of rice foot rot disease, which has recently become a great threat to rice planting countries and regions. The pathogen produces a family of phytotoxins named zeamines that is critical for bacterial virulence, but little is known about the signaling pathways and regulatory mechanisms that govern zeamine production. In this study, we showed that a conserved transcriptional regulator Fis is involved in the regulation of zeamine production in D. zeae strain EC1. Deletion mutants were markedly attenuated in the virulence against rice seed germination. Transcriptome and phenotype analyses showed that Fis is a potent global transcriptional regulator modulating various virulence traits, including production of extracellular enzymes and exopolysaccharides, swimming and swarming motility, biofilm formation and cell aggregation. DNA gel retardation analysis showed that Fis directly regulates the transcription of key virulence genes and the genes encoding Vfm quorum sensing system through DNA/protein interaction. Our findings unveil a key regulator associated with the virulence of D. zeae EC1, and present useful clues for further elucidation of the regulatory complex and signaling pathways which govern the virulence of this important pathogen.