A 3.1-kb genomic fragment of Bacillus subtilis encodes the protein inhibiting growth of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.
OBJECTIVE
To clone genes of Bacillus subtilis encoding peptides that inhibit the growth of Xanthomonas orzae pv. oryzae (Xoo).


RESULTS
A 3.1-kb DNA fragment from B. subtilis SO113 encoding peptides that inhibit the growth of Xoo (anti-Xoo, showing an inhibition zone) was isolated from a plasmid library of B. subtilis 6 GM15. Sequence analysis revealed that it contained three complete open reading frames (ORFs): ybcO, ybcS and a novel ORF designated ybcPQ. Deleting the last 96 bp of ybcS from the plasmid eliminated the anti-Xoo activity, suggesting that ybcS is required for producing the anti-Xoo activity. However, no anti-Xoo activity could be detected for the plasmid with ybcS alone. Further analysis showed that ybcO, at least, was also required to obtain the anti-Xoo activity.


CONCLUSIONS
A fragment of B. subtilis has been cloned that expresses an anti-Xoo activity that requires ybcS and ybcO.


CONCLUSIONS
These genes could be useful for the genetic engineering of resistance to rice bacterial diseases and for the design of new anti-Xoo biocontrol agents.
Lin
D
D
Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Qu
L J
LJ
Gu
H
H
Chen
Z
Z
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012275:Oryza / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014974:Xanthomonas / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins