| Plants use their innate immune system to recognize conserved molecular elicitors of microbes to contain most microbial infections. Successful microbes may evolve to overcome resistance by suppressing the immune system or avoiding recognition. In plant-pathogen systems, microbes that are not able to overcome the innate immune response are said to have non-host interactions. For example, in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 the bacterial phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pathovar phaseolicola 1448A (Pph1448A) exhibits a non-host resistance response. Here, an experimental evolution approach was used to track the adaptation of Pph1448A to the non-host Arabidopsis. After 30 serial passages, population whole genome sequencing was used to identify candidate mutations linked with the early stages of Pph1448A's adaptation to Arabdopsis. With continued passaging, mutations will likely continue to accumulate in Pph1448A that may, in future, be linked with a change in virulence. |
