title: Signal quenching, detoxification and mineralization of vir gene-inducing phenolics by the VirH2 protein of Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
abstract: Plant tumorigenesis by Agrobacterium tumefaciens requires approximately 20 Vir proteins, transcription of which is induced by a family of phenolic compounds released from plant wound sites. One Vir protein, VirH2, plays a role in the metabolism of at least one phenolic inducer inasmuch as it converts ferulic acid, a potent vir gene inducer, to the non-inducer caffeate by O-demethylation of a methoxyl group. Here, we tested VirH2-dependent O-demethylation of 16 other vir-inducing phenolics, and detected this activity for each compound. However, O-demethylation rates differed enormously, with the strongest vir gene inducers such as acetosyringone being demethylated extremely slowly. Compounds containing two methoxyl groups were demethylated at both positions. In general, phenolic inducers were more toxic than their demethylated counterparts. A virH2 mutant was more sensitive than the wild type to growth inhibition by virtually all phenolic inducers tested, indicating that VirH2 detoxifies these compounds. VirH2 also played a role in mineralization of some phenolics. It converted vanillate to protocatechuate, which was then mineralized via the beta-ketoadipate pathway. Vanillyl alcohol and vanillin were also mineralized after being oxidized to vanillate. All three compounds served as sole sources of carbon, whereas the remaining 13 compounds did not.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Wing Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brencic
authors.forename: Anatol
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eberhard
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Winans
mesh_terms: D000098:Acetophenones / Q000378:metabolism; D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001547:Benzaldehydes / Q000378:metabolism; D001592:Benzyl Alcohols / Q000378:metabolism; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005707:Gallic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D009154:Mutation; D010090:Oxidoreductases, O-Demethylating / Q000378:metabolism*; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D010941:Plant Tumors / Q000382:microbiology; D010957:Plasmids; D014641:Vanillic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000098:Acetophenones; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001547:Benzaldehydes; D001592:Benzyl Alcohols; D003373:Coumaric Acids; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates; D010636:Phenols; D037521:Virulence Factors; C009091:protocatechuic acid; D005707:Gallic Acid; C051667:acetosyringone; C004999:ferulic acid; C100058:vanillin; C001945:syringic acid; D010090:Oxidoreductases, O-Demethylating; D014641:Vanillic Acid; C024078:vanillyl alcohol