Peptidoglycan and muropeptides from pathogens Agrobacterium and Xanthomonas elicit plant innate immunity: structure and activity

Gitte Erbs, Alba Silipo, Shazia Aslam, Cristina De Castro, Valeria Liparoti, Angela Flagiello, Pietro Pucci, Rosa Lanzetta, Michelangelo Parrilli, Antonio Molinaro, Mari-Anne Newman, Richard M. Cooper

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    120 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Peptidoglycan (PGN) is a unique and essential structural part of the bacterial cell wall. PGNs from two contrasting Gram-negative plant pathogenic bacteria elicited components characteristic of the innate immune system in Arabidopsis thaliana, such as transcription of the defense gene PR1, oxidative burst, medium alkalinization, and formation of callose. Highly purified muropeptides from PGNs were more effective elicitors of early defense responses than native PGN. Therefore, PGN and its constituents represent a Microbe-Associated Molecular Pattern (MAMP) in plant-bacterial interactions. PGN and muropeptides from aggressive Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris were significantly more active than those from Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which must maintain host cell viability during infection. The structure of muropeptide components and the distinctive differences are described. Differing defense-eliciting abilities appear to depend on subtle structural differences in either carbohydrate or peptide groups.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalChemistry & Biology
    Volume15
    Issue number5
    Pages (from-to)438-448
    Number of pages11
    ISSN1074-5521
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2008

    Keywords

    • Former LIFE faculty
    • PROTEINS
    • CHEMBIO
    • MICROBIO

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