Influence of DNA conformation and role of comA and recA on natural transformation in Ralstonia solanacearum.

Naturally competent bacteria such as the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum are characterized by their ability to take up free DNA from their surroundings. In this study, we investigated the efficiency of various DNA types including chromosomal linear DNA and circular or linearized integrative and (or) replicative plasmids to naturally transform R. solanacearum. To study the respective regulatory role of DNA transport and maintenance in the definite acquisition of new DNA by bacteria, the natural transformation frequencies were compared with those obtained when the bacterial strain was transformed by electroporation. An additional round of electrotransformation and natural transformation was carried out with the same set of donor DNAs and with R. solanacearum disrupted mutants that were potentially affected in competence (comA gene) and recombination (recA gene) functions. Our results confirmed the critical role of the comA gene for natural transformation and that of recA for recombination and, more surprisingly, for the maintenance of an autonomous plasmid in the host cell. Finally, our results showed that homologous recombination of chromosomal linear DNA fragments taken up by natural transformation was the most efficient way for R. solanacearum to acquire new DNA, in agreement with previous data showing competence development and natural transformation between R. solanacearum cells in plant tissues.