title: Biological role of pigment production for the bacterial phytopathogen Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii.
abstract: Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii, the causal agent of Stewart's wilt of sweet corn, produces a yellow carotenoid pigment. A nonpigmented mutant was selected from a bank of mutants generated by random transposon mutagenesis. The transposon insertion site was mapped to the crtB gene, encoding a putative phytoene synthase, an enzyme involved in the early steps of carotenoid biosynthesis. We demonstrate here that the carotenoid pigment imparts protection against UV radiation and also contributes to the complete antioxidant pathway of P. stewartii. Moreover, production of this pigment is regulated by the EsaI/EsaR quorum-sensing system and significantly contributes to the virulence of the pathogen in planta.
authors: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA.
authors: Mojtaba
authors: M
authors: Mohammadi
authors: Lindsey
authors: L
authors: Burbank
authors: M Caroline
authors: MC
authors: Roper
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D020636:Pantoea / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000528:radiation effects; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D053038:Quorum Sensing; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003313:Zea mays / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D037521:Virulence Factors