The Enzyme Glucose-1-Phosphate Thymidylyltransferase RmlA Plays a Crucial Role in the Pathogenesis of Pectobacterium actinidiae GX1.

ABSTRACT: Pectobacterium actinidiae is one of the primary pathogens that causes summer canker disease in kiwifruit, yet its pathogenic mechanisms remain unknown. The exopolysaccharide PCAP-1a, isolated from the fermentation broth of P. actinidiae strain GX1, exhibits notable cytotoxicity and acts as a virulence factor facilitating host infection. Genome-wide analysis revealed a 21-gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of exopolysaccharides in GX1. Homologous recombination was used to systematically knock out these genes, which led to the identification of RmlA as a key protein in the synthesis of the PCAP-1a precursor. The deletion of the rmlA gene significantly affected the yield of PCAP-1a and resulted in a direct reduction in GX1 pathogenicity. Further studies revealed that mutations in t

SUBMITTER: Yuan Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12227328 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature