Identification and Characterization of Nip, Necrosis-Inducing Virulence Protein of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora

• DOI: 10.1094/mpmi.2004.17.12.1366
• Publication Date: 2007-05-11T09:28:07Z
• Authors: Laura Mattinen; Marina Tshuikina; Andres Mäe; Minna Pirhonen
• Keywords: Blackleg

Erwinia carotovora subsp. is a gram-negative bacterium that causes soft rot disease of many cultivated crops. When collection E. isolates was analyzed on Southern blot using the harpin-encoding gene hrpN as probe, several harpinless were found. Regulation virulence determinants in one these, strain SCC3193, has been characterized extensively. It fully virulent potato and Arabidopsis thaliana. An RpoS (SigmaS) mutant producing elevated levels secreted proteins, found to cause lesions resembling hypersensitive response when infiltrated into tobacco leaf tissue. This phenotype evident only bacterial cells had solid minimal medium at low pH temperature. The protein causing'the cell death purified sequenced, corresponding cloned. deduced sequence necrosis-inducing (Nip) showed homology necrosis- ethylene-inducing elicitors fungi oomycetes. A lacking nip reduced tuber assay but unaffected stem or other tested host plants.