Major Fe-Superoxide Dismutase (FeSOD) Activity in Pseudomonas putida is Essential for Survival Under Conditions of Oxidative Stress During Microbial Challenge and Nutrient Limitation

An isolate of Pseudomonas putida has been found to aggressively colonize root tips and induce plant resistance to Fusarium wilt. However, P. putida mutants lacking Fe-superoxide dismutase (SOD) or both FeSOD and MnSOD activities are less competitive in root tip colonization. In the current study, the growth of an FeSOD mutant was found to be more sensitive than that of the wild-type or a MnSOD mutant to oxidative stress imposed by paraquat treatment and culturing with the soil fungus Talaromyces flavus, which generates reactive oxygen species. Also, the loss of culturability with an aging stationary-phase culture was greater for a double SOD mutant than an FeSOD mutant, while no reduction in culturability was observed with the wild-type and a MnSOD mutant under the same protracted stationary-phase conditions. Accordingly, it was concluded that FeSOD activity is the major form of SOD in P. putida and plays an essential role in survival under stress conditions when increased oxidative stress is encountered.