Jeong-Gu Kim

The genome sequence of Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae KACC10331, the bacterial blight pathogen of rice

The nucleotide sequence was determined for the genome of Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae (Xoo) KACC10331, a bacterium that causes bacterial blight in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The genome is comprised of a single, 4 941 439 bp, circular chromosome that is G + C rich (63.7%). The genome includes 4637 open reading frames (ORFs) of which 3340 (72.0%) could be assigned putative function. Orthologs for 80% of the predicted Xoo genes were found in the previously reported X.axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) and X.campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) genomes, but 245 genes apparently specific to Xoo were identified. Xoo genes likely to be associated with pathogenesis include eight with similarity to Xanthomonas avirulence (avr) genes, a set of hypersensitive reaction and pathogenicity (hrp) genes, genes for exopolysaccharide production, and genes encoding extracellular plant cell wall-degrading enzymes. The presence of these genes provides insights into the interactions of this pathogen with its gramineous host.

Molecular analysis of the hrp gene cluster in Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae KACC10859.

Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae is the causal agent of rice bacterial blight. The plant pathogenic bacterium X. oryzae pv. oryzae expresses a type III secretion system that is necessary for both the pathogenicity in susceptible hosts and the induction of the hypersensitive response in resistant plants. This specialized protein transport system is encoded by a 32.18kb hrp (hypersensitive response and pathogenicity) gene cluster. The hrp gene cluster is composed of nine hrp, nine hrc (hrp conserved) and eight hpa (hrp-associated) genes and is controlled by HrpG and HrpX, which are known as regulators of the hrp gene cluster. Before mutational analysis of these hrp genes, the transcriptional linkages of the core region of the hrp gene cluster from hpaB to hrcC of the X. oryzae pv. oryzae KACC10859 was determined and the non-polarity of EZTn5 insertional mutagenesis was demonstrated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Pathogenicity assays of these non-polar hrp mutants were carried out on the susceptible rice cultivar, Milyang-23. According to the results of these assays, all hrp-hrc, except hrpF, and hpaB mutants lost their pathogenicity, which indicates that most hrp-hrc genes encode essential pathogenicity factors. On the other hand, most hpa mutants showed decreased virulence in a different pattern, i.e., hpa genes are not essential but are important for pathogenicity.

Predicting the Interactome of Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae for target selection and DB service

BackgroundProtein-protein interactions (PPIs) play key roles in various cellular functions. In addition, some critical inter-species interactions such as host-pathogen interactions and pathogenicity occur through PPIs. Phytopathogenic bacteria infect hosts through attachment to host tissue, enzyme secretion, exopolysaccharides production, toxins release, iron acquisition, and effector proteins secretion. Many such mechanisms involve some kind of protein-protein interaction in hosts. Our first aim was to predict the whole protein interaction pairs (interactome) of Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae (Xoo) that is an important pathogenic bacterium that causes bacterial blight (BB) in rice. We developed a detection protocol to find possibly interacting proteins in its host using whole genome PPI prediction algorithms. The second aim was to build a DB server and a bioinformatic procedure for finding target proteins in Xoo for developing pesticides that block host-pathogen protein interactions within critical biochemical pathways.DescriptionA PPI network in Xoo proteome was predicted by bioinformatics algorithms: PSIMAP, PEIMAP, and iPfam. We present the resultant species specific interaction network and host-pathogen interaction, XooNET. It is a comprehensive predicted initial PPI data for Xoo. XooNET can be used by experimentalists to pick up protein targets for blocking pathological interactions. XooNET uses most of the major types of PPI algorithms. They are: 1) Protein Structural Interactome MAP (PSIMAP), a method using structural domain of SCOP, 2) Protein Experimental Interactome MAP (PEIMAP), a common method using public resources of experimental protein interaction information such as HPRD, BIND, DIP, MINT, IntAct, and BioGrid, and 3) Domain-domain interactions, a method using Pfam domains such as iPfam. Additionally, XooNET provides information on network properties of the Xoo interactome.ConclusionXooNET is an open and free public database server for protein interaction information for Xoo. It contains 4,538 proteins and 26,932 possible interactions consisting of 18,503 (PSIMAP), 3,118 (PEIMAP), and 8,938 (iPfam) pairs. In addition, XooNET provides 3,407 possible interaction pairs between two sets of proteins; 141 Xoo proteins that are predicted as membrane proteins and rice proteomes. The resultant interacting partners of a query protein can be easily retrieved by users as well as the interaction networks in graphical web interfaces. XooNET is freely available from http://bioportal.kobic.kr/XooNET/.

Mutational analysis of the gum gene cluster required for xanthan biosynthesis in Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae.

Genome sequence analysis of Xanthomonasoryzae pv. oryzae has revealed a cluster of 12 ORFs that are closely related to the gum gene cluster of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. The gum gene cluster of X. oryzae encodes proteins involved in xanthan production; however, there is little experimental evidence supporting this. In this study, biochemical analyses of xanthan produced by a defined set of X. oryzaegum mutant strains allowed us to preliminarily assign functions to most of the gum gene products: biosynthesis of the pentasaccharide repeating unit for GumD, GumM, GumH, GumK, and GumI, xanthan polymerization and transport for GumB, GumC, GumE, and GumJ, and modification of the pentasaccharide repeating unit for GumF, GumG, and GumL. In addition, we found that the exopolysaccharides are essential but not specific for the virulence of X. oryzae.

Functional analysis of the aroC gene encoding chorismate synthase from Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae causes bacterial blight in rice, and this bacterial blight has been widely found in the major rice-growing areas. We constructed a transposon mutagenesis library of X. oryzae pv. oryzae and identified a mutant strain (KXOM9) that is deficient for pigment production and virulence. Furthermore, the KXOM9 mutant was unable to grow in minimal medium lacking aromatic amino acids. Thermal asymmetric interlaced-PCR and sequence analysis of KXOM9 revealed that the transposon was inserted into the aroC gene, which encodes a chorismate synthase in various bacterial pathogens. In planta growth assays revealed that bacterial growth of the KXOM9 mutant in rice leaves was severely reduced. Genetic complementation of this mutant with a 7.9-kb fragment containing aroC restored virulence, pigmentation, and prototrophy. These results suggest that the aroC gene plays a crucial role in the growth, attenuation of virulence, and pigment production of X. oryzae pv. oryzae.

Crystal structure of XoLAP, a leucine aminopeptidase, from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Aminopeptidases are metalloproteinases that degrade N-terminal residues from protein and play important roles in cell growth and development by controlling cell homeostasis and protein maturation. We determined the crystal structure of XoLAP, a leucyl aminopeptidase, at 2.6 Å resolution from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, causing the destructive rice disease of bacterial blight. It is the first crystal structure of aminopeptidase from phytopathogens as a drug target. XoLAP existed as a hexamer and the monomer structure consisted of an N-terminal cap domain and a C-terminal peptidase domain with two divalent zinc ions. XoLAP structure was compared with BlLAP and EcLAP (EcPepA) structures. Based on the structural comparison, the molecular model of XoLAP in complex with the natural aminopeptidase inhibitor of microginin FR1 was proposed. The model structure will be useful to develop a novel antibacterial drug against Xoo.

Cloning, expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) from the pepA gene of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes the serious disease bacterial blight in rice. The pepA (Xoo0834) gene from Xoo is one of around 100 genes that have been selected for the design of antibacterial drugs. The pepA gene encodes leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), an exopeptidase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of leucine residues from the N-terminus of a protein or peptide. This enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized, and preliminary X-ray structural studies have been carried out. The LAP crystal diffracted to 2.6 A resolution and belonged to the cubic space group P2(1)3. The unit-cell volume of the crystal was compatible with the presence of two monomers in the asymmetric unit.

Cloning, expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of malonyl-CoA-acyl carrier protein transacylase (FabD) from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes bacterial blight in rice, which is one of the most devastating diseases in rice-cultivating countries. The Xoo0880 (fabD) gene coding for a malonyl-CoA-acyl carrier protein transacylase (MCAT) from Xoo was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. MCAT is an essential enzyme that catalyzes a key reaction of fatty-acid synthesis in bacteria and plants: the conversion of malonyl-CoA to malonyl-acyl carrier protein. The FabD enzyme was purified and crystallized in order to elucidate its three-dimensional structure and to determine its enzymatic reaction mechanism and biological importance. The crystal obtained diffracted to 1.9 A resolution and belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 41.4, b = 74.6, c = 98.5 A. According to Matthews coefficient calculations, the crystallographic structure contains only one monomeric unit in the asymmetric unit with a V(M) of 2.21 A(3) Da(-1) and a solvent content of 44.3%.

Expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of Xoo0352, D-alanine-D-alanine ligase A, from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes bacterial blight (BB), which is one of the most devastating diseases of rice in most rice-growing countries. D-Alanine-D-alanine ligase A (DdlA), coded by the Xoo0352 gene, was expressed, purified and crystallized. DdlA is an enzyme that is involved in D-alanine metabolism and the biosynthesis of an essential bacterial peptidoglycan precursor, in which it catalyzes the formation of D-alanyl-D-alanine from two D-alanines, and is thus an attractive antibacterial drug target against Xoo. The DdlA crystals diffracted to 2.3 A resolution and belonged to the primitive tetragonal space group P4(3)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 83.0, c = 97.6 A. There is one molecule in the asymmetric unit, with a corresponding V(M) of 1.88 A(3) Da(-1) and a solvent content of 34.6%. The initial structure was determined by molecular replacement using D-alanine-D-alanine ligase from Staphylococcus aureus (PDB code 2i87) as a template model.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of β-ketoacyl-ACP synthase I (XoFabB) from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.

The proteins in the fatty-acid synthesis pathway in bacteria have significant potential as targets for the development of antibacterial agents. An essential elongation step in fatty-acid synthesis is performed by β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase I (FabB). The organism Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes a destructive bacterial blight disease of rice. The XoFabB protein from Xoo was expressed, purified and crystallized for the three-dimensional structure determination that is essential for the development of specific inhibitors of the enzyme. An XoFabB crystal diffracted to 3.0 Å resolution and belonged to the tetragonal space group P4(1), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 82.2, c = 233.2 Å. Assuming that the crystallographic structure contains four molecules in the asymmetric unit, the corresponding V(M) would be 2.18 Å(3) Da(-1) and the solvent content would be 43.5%. The initial structure was determined by the MOLREP program with an R factor of 44.0% and does contain four monomers in the asymmetric unit.