Comparative Multi-Omics Survey Reveals Novel Specialized Metabolites and Biosynthetic Gene Clusters Under GacS Control in Pseudomonas donghuensis Strain SVBP6

In Pseudomonas donghuensis SVBP6, isolated from an agricultural field, the well-conserved Gac-Rsm pathway upregulates biosynthesis of the antifungal compound 7-hydroxytropolone (7-HT). However, 7-HT does not fully explain the strain's Gac-Rsm-dependent antimicrobial activity. Here, we combined comparative transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic approaches to identify novel GacS-dependent biosynthetic gene clusters (BGC) and/or extracellular specialized metabolites. Our data revealed a broad impact of GacS on gene expression and extracellular metabolite profile of SVBP6. At both the mRNA and polypeptide levels, specialized metabolism was the main affected functional category in the gacS mutant. The major extracellular MS/MS spectral families promoted by GacS were fatty acid amides, fatty acids, and alkaloids. GacS was required for the production of the antimicrobial compound pseudoiodinine and to activate expression of the corresponding BGC. We also detected GacS-dependent production of 2,3,4-trihydro-β-carboline-1-one, which may add to the antimicrobial arsenal of SVBP6. Furthermore, transcriptomics and proteomics pinpointed several GacS-activated BGCs that had escaped in silico genome mining tools. Altogether, comparative multi-omics analyses of gacS loss-of-function mutants in Pseudomonas isolates are a promising strategy to uncover bioactive metabolites and/or their BGCs. Discovery of novel natural products is important for harnessing the potential of microbiota to improve crop plant growth and health.