The periplasmic binding protein NrtT affects xantham gum production and pathogenesis in Xanthomonas citri

Author(s)

Sampaio, Aline ^{[1, 2]} ; Pegos, Vanessa Rodrigues ^{[2, 3]} ; Oshiro, Elisa Emiko ^[4] ; Balan, Andrea ^[4]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Biomed, Programa Interunidades Biotecnol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Ctr Pesquisas Energia & Mat CNPEM, Lab Nacl Biociencias LNBio, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Inst Biol, Postgrad Program Genet & Mol Biol, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Biomed, Dept Microbiol, Av Prof Lineu Prestes 1374, Cidade Univ, BR-05508000 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: FEBS OPEN BIO; v. 7, n. 10, p. 1499-1514, OCT 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

In Xanthomonas citri, the bacterium that causes citrus canker, three ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are known to be dedicated to the uptake of sulfur compounds. In this work, using functional, biophysical and structural methods, we showed that NrtT, a periplasmic component of the ABC transporter NrtCB, is an alkanesulfonate-binding protein and that the deletion of the nrtT gene affected xantham gum synthesis, adhesion and biofilm production, similarly to the phenotype obtained in the X. citri ssuA-knockout strain, in which the alkanesulfonate-binding protein SsuA is absent. Although NrtA and SsuA share similar ligands, the function of these proteins is not complementary. These results emphasize that organic-sulfur sources are directly involved with bacterial infection in vivo and are needed for pathogenesis in X. citri. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/09172-9 - Structural and funcional characterization of the sulfate ABC transporter from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri and related enzymes
• Grantee: Andrea Balan Fernandes
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 11/22386-2 - Structural caracterization and functional analysis of Nitrate/Nitrite transporter ABC type of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri
• Grantee: Aline Sampaio Cremonesi
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 11/20468-1 - Molecular mechanisms involved in pathogen adaptation and virulence, host resistance and symptom development in citrus-bacteria interactions
• Grantee: Celso Eduardo Benedetti
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants