{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:16:12Z","timestamp":1760145372415,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,17]],"date-time":"2024-07-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1721174400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia (FCT)","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["SFRH\/BD\/145711\/2019","UIDB\/50006\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SFRH\/BD\/145711\/2019","UIDB\/50006\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"FCT\/MCTES","award":["SFRH\/BD\/145711\/2019","UIDB\/50006\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SFRH\/BD\/145711\/2019","UIDB\/50006\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Horticulturae"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The commensal\/pathogenic Escherichia coli affects humans and animals, being present in diverse environmental niches, possibly surviving due to its adaptation to transient plant hosts like crops, increasing the risk of foodborne diseases. E. coli interaction with the plant host remains unknown, particularly the impacts on photosynthesis. We hypothesize that E. coli influences the tomato transient host\u2019s photosynthetic capacity. To validate this hypothesis, we exposed 57-day-old tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) to different inoculation conditions, namely, non-inoculated plants (negative control, C\u2212); plants directly injected with E. coli SL6.1 (107 CFU\/mL) (positive control, C+); plants irrigated one time with E. coli SL6.1 (107 CFU\/mL); and plants chronically irrigated with E. coli SL6.1 (104 CFU\/mL). No significant changes were observed in chlorophyll fluorescence, pigments\u2019 contents, morphological aspects, and fruiting in all conditions. However, irrigated plants (chronically and one-time contaminated) had decreased stomatal conductance (gs, 31.07 and 34.42 mol m\u22122 s\u22121, respectively, vs. 53.43 and 48.08 mol m\u22122 s\u22121 in C\u2212 and C+, respectively), transpiration rate (E, 0.32 and 0.35 mol m\u22122 s\u22121 in chronically and one-time contaminated conditions vs. 0.57 and 0.48 mol m\u22122 s\u22121 in C\u2212 and C+, respectively), and a trend of increased intrinsic carboxylation (Ci, 384 and 361 ppm in chronically and one-time irrigated plants vs. 321 and 313 ppm in C\u2212 and C+, respectively). The one-time inoculated plants presented more severe effects than the remaining conditions, with lower net photosynthetic rate (PN, 0.93 vs. 3.94\u20135.96 \u03bcmol (CO2) m\u22122 s\u22121 in the other conditions), intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE, 33.1 vs. 74.51\u2013184.40 \u03bcmol (CO2)\/mmol (H2O) in the chronically irrigated and the control plants), and intrinsic carboxylation efficiency (iCE, 0.003 vs. 0.012\u20130.022 \u03bcmol (CO2)\/ppm in the remaining conditions). Our data support that some observed effects are similar to those associated with phytopathogenic bacteria. Lastly, we propose that the decrease in some parameters of gas exchange requires direct contact with the leaf\/stomata, and is mainly observed for high concentrations of E. coli.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/horticulturae10070758","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,17]],"date-time":"2024-07-17T16:35:58Z","timestamp":1721234158000},"page":"758","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Escherichia coli Inoculation Decreases the Photosynthetic Performance on Tomato Plants: Clarifying the Impact of Human Commensal Bacteria on Transient Plant Hosts"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5791-7253","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anicia","family":"Gomes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (LAQV-REQUIMTE), University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit (UCIBIO), Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Associate Laboratory i4HB\u2014Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4129-6381","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Concei\u00e7\u00e3o","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (LAQV-REQUIMTE), University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9612-0909","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lia-T\u00e2nia","family":"Dinis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Inov4Agro\u2014Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production, University of Tra\u0301s-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Apt. 1013, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5212-6172","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rafael J.","family":"Mendes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (LAQV-REQUIMTE), University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Esmael, A., Al-Hindi, R.R., Albiheyri, R.S., Alharbi, M.G., Filimban, A.A.R., Alseghayer, M.S., Almaneea, A.M., Alhadlaq, M.A., Ayubu, J., and Teklemariam, A.D.A. (2023). Fresh Produce as a Potential Vector and Reservoir for Human Bacterial Pathogens: Revealing the Ambiguity of Interaction and Transmission. Microorganisms, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms11030753"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1089\/fpd.2014.1821","article-title":"Reported Foodborne Outbreaks Due to Fresh Produce in the United States and European Union: Trends and causes","volume":"12","author":"Ubeda","year":"2015","journal-title":"Foodborne Pathog. Dis."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Vassallo, A., Amoriello, R., Guri, P., Casbarra, L., Ramazzotti, M., Zaccaroni, M., Ballerini, C., Cavalieri, D., and Marvasi, M. (2023). Adaptation of Commensal Escherichia coli in Tomato Fruits: Motility, Stress, Virulence. Biology, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/biology12040633"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Luna-Guevara, J.J., Arenas-Hernandez, M.M.P., Mart\u00ednez De La Pe\u00f1a, C., Silva, J.L., and Luna-Guevara, M.L. (2019). The Role of Pathogenic E. coli in Fresh Vegetables: Behavior, Contamination Factors, and Preventive Measures. Int. J. Microbiol., 2019.","DOI":"10.1155\/2019\/2894328"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"177","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fm.2018.01.003","article-title":"Sources and contamination routes of microbial pathogens to fresh produce during field cultivation: A review","volume":"73","author":"Alegbeleye","year":"2018","journal-title":"Food Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gekenidis, M.T., Rigotti, S., Hummerjohann, J., Walsh, F., and Drissner, D. (2020). Long-Term Persistence of blaCTX-M-15 in Soil and Lettuce after Introducing Extended-Spectrum \u03b2-Lactamase (ESBL)-Producing Escherichia coli via Manure or Water. Microorganisms, 8.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms8111646"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Melotto, M., Panchal, S., and Roy, D. (2014). Plant innate immunity against human bacterial pathogens. Front. Microbiol., 5.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2014.00411"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chelaghma, W., Loucif, L., Bendahou, M., and Rolain, J.-M. (2021). Vegetables and Fruit as a Reservoir of \u03b2-Lactam and Colistin-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria: A Review. Microorganisms, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms9122534"},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"World Health Organization (WHO) (2018). Critically Important Antimicrobials for Human Medicine, World Health Organization. [6th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2385","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1462-2920.2010.02297.x","article-title":"Fresh fruit and vegetables as vehicles for the transmission of human pathogens","volume":"12","author":"Berger","year":"2010","journal-title":"Environ. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Salda\u00f1a, Z., S\u00e1nchez, E., Xicohtencatl-Cortes, J., Puente, J.L., and Gir\u00f3n, J.A. (2011). Surface structures involved in plant stomata and leaf colonization by Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli O157: H7. Front. Microbiol., 2.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2011.00119"},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"e02249-21","article-title":"Impact of Salmonella in Leafy greens and Impact on Acid Tolerance","volume":"88","author":"Grivokostopoulos","year":"2022","journal-title":"Food Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-313X.2006.02725.x","article-title":"Genome-wide transcriptional analysis of the Arabidopsis thaliana interaction with the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 and the human pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7","volume":"46","author":"Thilmony","year":"2006","journal-title":"Plant J."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"326","DOI":"10.1094\/PHYTO-09-12-0230-FI","article-title":"Escherichia coli O157:H7 Induces Stronger Plant Immunity than Salmonella enterica Typhimurium SL1344","volume":"103","author":"Roy","year":"2013","journal-title":"Phytopathology"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Meddya, S., Meshram, S., Sarkar, D., Rakesh, S., Datta, R., Singh, S., Avinash, G., Kondeti, A.K., Savani, A.K., and Thulasinathan, T. (2023). Plant Stomata: An Unrealized Possibility in Plant Defense against Invading Pathogens and Stress Tolerance. Plants, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/plants12193380"},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"(2024, May 06). Production\/Crops and Livestock Products\u2014Metadata. Available online: https:\/\/www.fao.org\/faostat\/en\/#data\/QCL\/visualize."},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"128","article-title":"Fire Blight Management: Physiological Assessment of Cultural Control by Pruning in Pear Orchards","volume":"66","author":"Mendes","year":"2020","journal-title":"Agriculture"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3983","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/ert208","article-title":"Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis: A guide to good practice and understanding some new applications","volume":"64","author":"Murchie","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Exp. Bot."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"337","DOI":"10.1016\/S0034-4257(02)00010-X","article-title":"Relationships between leaf pigment content and spectral reflectance across a wide range of species, leaf structures and developmental stages","volume":"81","author":"Sims","year":"2002","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_20","first-page":"32","article-title":"Tomato plants use non-enzymatic antioxidant pathways to cope with moderate UV-A\/B irradiation: A contribution to the use of UV-A\/B in horticulture","volume":"221","author":"Mendes","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Plant Physiol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"563","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/erp333","article-title":"Salinity induces carbohydrate accumulation and sugar-regulated starch biosynthetic genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv.\u2018Micro-Tom\u2019) fruits in an ABA-and osmotic stress-independent manner","volume":"61","author":"Yin","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Exp. Bot."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"659","DOI":"10.1093\/jexbot\/51.345.659","article-title":"Chlorophyll fluorescence\u2014A practical guide","volume":"51","author":"Maxwell","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Exp. Bot."},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"Ritchie, G.A. (2006). Chlorophyll fluorescence: What is it and what do the numbers mean?. USDA Forest Service Proceeding RMRS, Rocky Mount Research Station."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"180","DOI":"10.1094\/PHYTO-04-14-0097-R","article-title":"Leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence imaging of rice leaves infected with Monographella albescens","volume":"105","author":"Tatagiba","year":"2015","journal-title":"Phytopathology"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"521","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.arplant.57.032905.105350","article-title":"Structure and function of photosystems I and II","volume":"57","author":"Nelson","year":"2006","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Plant Biol."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gahir, S., Bharath, P., and Raghavendra, A.S. (2021). Stomatal Closure Sets in Motion Long-Term Strategies of Plant Defense Against Microbial Pathogens. Front. Plant Sci., 12.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2021.761952"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sakata, N., and Ishiga, Y. (2023). Prevention of Stomatal Entry as a Strategy for Plant Disease Control against Foliar Pathogenic Pseudomonas Species. Plants, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/plants12030590"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jiang, X., Walker, B.J., He, S.Y., and Hu, J. (2023). The role of photorespiration in plant immunity. Front. Plant Sci., 14.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2023.1125945"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1114","DOI":"10.4161\/psb.4.12.10062","article-title":"Stomata and pathogens: Warfare at the gates","volume":"4","author":"Gudesblat","year":"2009","journal-title":"Plant Signal. Behav."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1531","DOI":"10.4315\/0362-028X-72.7.1531","article-title":"Interaction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 with leafy green produce","volume":"72","author":"Freer","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Food Prot."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"234","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1758-2229.2009.00037.x","article-title":"Interaction of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli with salad leaves","volume":"1","author":"Berger","year":"2009","journal-title":"Environ. Microbiol. Rep."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"969","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2006.06.054","article-title":"Plant Stomata Function in Innate Immunity against Bacterial Invasion","volume":"126","author":"Melotto","year":"2006","journal-title":"Cell"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1007\/s00203-010-0544-1","article-title":"Environmental Escherichia coli occur as natural plant growth-promoting soil bacterium","volume":"192","author":"Nautiyal","year":"2010","journal-title":"Arch. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e00305-17","DOI":"10.1128\/genomeA.00305-17","article-title":"Whole-Genome Sequence of Endophytic Plant Growth-Promoting Escherichia coli USML2","volume":"5","author":"Tharek","year":"2017","journal-title":"Genome Announc."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"270","DOI":"10.1111\/jam.13754","article-title":"Phenotypic and virulence traits of Escherichia coli and Salmonella strains isolated from vegetables and fruits from India","volume":"125","author":"Verma","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Appl. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"809","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms3040809","article-title":"Movement of Salmonella serovar Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 to Ripe Tomato Fruit Following Various Routes of Contamination","volume":"3","author":"Deering","year":"2015","journal-title":"Microorganisms"}],"container-title":["Horticulturae"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2311-7524\/10\/7\/758\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T15:18:38Z","timestamp":1760109518000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2311-7524\/10\/7\/758"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,17]]},"references-count":36,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7]]}},"alternative-id":["horticulturae10070758"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/horticulturae10070758","relation":{},"ISSN":["2311-7524"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2311-7524"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,17]]}}}