Spiralin is not essential for helicity, motility, or pathogenicity but is required for efficient transmission of Spiroplasma citri by its leafhopper vector Circulifer haematoceps.

ABSTRACT: Spiralin is the most abundant protein at the surface of the plant pathogenic mollicute Spiroplasma citri and hence might play a role in the interactions of the spiroplasma with its host plant and/or its insect vector. To study spiralin function, mutants were produced by inactivating the spiralin gene through homologous recombination. A spiralin-green fluorescent protein (GFP) translational fusion was engineered and introduced into S. citri by using an oriC-based targeting vector. According to the strategy used, integration of the plasmid by a single-crossover recombination at the spiralin gene resulted in the expression of the spiralin-GFP fusion protein. Two distinct mutants were isolated. Western and colony immunoblot analyses showed that one mutant (GII3-9a5) did produce the spiralin-GF

SUBMITTER: Duret S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC201218 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature