Studies of the molecular basis of mannan degradation and utilization system from the phytopathogen Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri

• Grant number: 17/00203-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Mário Tyago Murakami
• Grantee: Isabela Mendes Bonfim
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovações (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 15/26982-0 - Exploring novel strategies for depolymerization of plant cell-wall polysaccharides: from structure, function and rational design of glycosyl hydrolases to biological implications and potential biotechnological applications, AP.TEM

Abstract

Plant cell wall consists of a complex and dynamic structure composed essentially by cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and pectins. The deconstruction of the vegetal fiber by chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis releases fermentable sugars, which can be used in the production of biofuels or compounds with higher added value. However, the use of plant biomass still requires both a better understanding of its molecular architecture and the development of more efficient technologies for its depolymerization. Several enzymes produced by microorganisms are key components in this process, such as Glycosyl Hydrolases (GHs). Nevertheless, the functional and mechanistic diversity of these enzymes is still poorly understood; of the more than 300,000 proteins classified as GHs in the CAZy database, only 2% were biochemically characterized and still less from the structural point of view. In some species that present a large repertoire of GHs, such as the phytopathogenic bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas, the biological role of these enzymes as well as their molecular adaptations that contribute to mediate plant-pathogen interactions are poorly understood, in particular those related to degradation of hemicelluloses, such as mannan. The genome of these bacteria has gene clusters that encode enzymes potentially related to mannan degradation including ²-mannanases, ²-glycosidases, ²-mannosidases and ±-galactosidases. Such enzymes, although with potential industrial application and probable relevance for the pathogenicity of Xanthomonas spp., have not yet been characterized. Therefore, the aim of this project is the enzymatic, functional and structural characterization of enzymes involved in the mannan degradation pathway of the phytopathogen Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri, responsible for causing citrus canker in plants, a disease of great economic importance in Citriculture. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

VIEIRA, PLINIO S.; BONFIM, ISABELA M.; ARAUJO, EVANDRO A.; MELO, RICARDO R.; LIMA, AUGUSTO R.; FESSEL, MELISSA R.; PAIXAO, DOUGLAS A. A.; PERSINOTI, GABRIELA F.; ROCCO, SILVANA A.; LIMA, TATIANI B.; et al. Xyloglucan processing machinery in Xanthomonas pathogens and its role in the transcriptional activation of virulence factors. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, v. 12, n. 1, JUN 30 2021. (17/14253-9, 15/26982-0, 16/06509-0, 15/13684-0, 18/03724-3, 19/13936-0, 17/00203-0, 16/19995-0)

GIUSEPPE, PRISCILA O.; BONFIM, ISABELA M.; MURAKAMI, MARIO T.. Enzymatic systems for carbohydrate utilization and biosynthesis in Xanthomonas and their role in pathogenesis and tissue specificity. ESSAYS IN BIOCHEMISTRY, v. 67, n. 3, p. 16-pg., 2023-04-01. (17/00203-0, 15/26982-0)