title: Pseudomonas corrugata crpCDE is part of the cyclic lipopeptide corpeptin biosynthetic gene cluster and is involved in bacterial virulence in tomato and in hypersensitive response in Nicotiana benthamiana.
abstract: Pseudomonas corrugata CFBP 5454 produces two kinds of cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs), cormycin A and corpeptins, both of which possess surfactant, antimicrobial and phytotoxic activities. In this study, we identified genes coding for a putative non-ribosomal peptide synthetase and an ABC-type transport system involved in corpeptin production. These genes belong to the same transcriptional unit, designated crpCDE. The genetic organization of this locus is highly similar to other Pseudomonas CLP biosynthetic clusters. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis revealed that transporter and synthetase genomic knock-out mutants were unable to produce corpeptins, but continued to produce cormycin A. This suggests that CrpCDE is the only system involved in corpeptin production in P. corrugata CFBP 5454. In addition, phylogenetic analysis revealed that the CrpE ABC transporter clustered with the transporters of CLPs with a long peptide chain. Strains depleted in corpeptin production were significantly less virulent than the wild-type strain when inoculated in tomato plants and induced only chlorosis when infiltrated into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Thus, corpeptins are important effectors of P. corrugata interaction with plants. Expression analysis revealed that crpC transcription occurs at high cell density. Two LuxR transcriptional regulators, PcoR and RfiA, have a pivotal role in crpC expression and thus in corpeptin production.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agrarie e Alimentari (DISPA), Università degli Studi di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 100, 95131, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia Patricia
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Strano
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bella
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Licciardello
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: Angela Roberta
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Lo Piero
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fogliano
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Venturi
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Catara
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000378:metabolism; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways / Q000235:genetics*; D002474:Cell-Free System; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000235:genetics; D055666:Lipopeptides / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000382:microbiology*; D005810:Multigene Family; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D010453:Peptide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D055666:Lipopeptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; C064778:LuxR autoinducer binding proteins; D010453:Peptide Synthases; C104385:non-ribosomal peptide synthase
keywords: ABC transporters; Lux R transcriptional regulators; Pseudomonas; corpeptins; non-ribosomal peptide synthetase