Secretion of type II extracellular cell wall degrading enzymes from Pantoea agglomerans phytopathogen

In the present study the bacteria were isolated from infected Cajanus cajan seed and identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as Pantoea agglomerans. The virulence of the plant pathogen is dependent on the production and secretion of a large variety of plant cell wall–degrading enzymes. Different cell wall degrading enzymatic activities such as cellulase, polygalacturonase, xylanase, invertase and glycosidase were assayed from the P. agglomerans growing in four nutrient media with different compositions (A) N-broth with 5% sucrose (B) N-broth (C) Minimal medium consisted of sucrose - 5g, peptone - 0.8g, Na2HPO4 - 1g, KH2PO4 - 0.6g, MgSO4.7H2O - 1g per 200ml and (D) Minimal medium with small Gossypium hirsutum leaves (500mg/100ml media). Secretion of enzymes has been shown to play an important role in pathogenicity and to understand the interaction of P. agglomerans and Gossypium hirsutum, a biochemical analysis of secreted proteins in the presence of G. hirsutum leaves was performed. Amongst the studied enzymes cellulase, polygalacturonase and xylanase activity observed higher in media C and glycosidase activity in media D. The probable role of these enzymes in the mechanism of pathogenicity is discussed.

Author(s): Kiran S. Chudasama and Vrinda S. Thaker*

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