COPPER ACCUMULATION IN XANTHOMONAS-CAMPESTRIS PV VESICATORIA

A strain of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria showing resistance to 1.2 mM cupric sulfate was analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscop y and ESI (electron spectrophotometry imaging). Accumulation of copper was detected in the periphery of the cell membrane region, suggesting that the mechanism of copper resistance is similar to that previously described for Pseudomonas species. The ESI technique was used to dete ct copper in the membrane region. Copper-resistance in X. campestris p v. vesicatoria 484 is inducible and occurs by accumulation of the meta l and not by efflux mechanism as has been suggested. The growth curve also showed that this system is inducible.