Agrobacterium tumefaciens can obtain sulphur from an opine that is synthesized by octopine synthase using S-methylmethionine as a substrate.

ABSTRACT: Agrobacterium tumefaciens incites plant tumours that produce nutrients called opines, which are utilized by the bacteria during host colonization. Various opines provide sources of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous, but virtually nothing was previously known about how A. tumefaciens acquires sulphur during colonization. Some strains encode an operon required for the catabolism of the opine octopine. This operon contains a gene, msh, that is predicted to direct the conversion of S-methylmethionine (SMM) and homocysteine (HCys) to two equivalents of methionine. Purified Msh carried out this reaction, suggesting that SMM could be an intermediate in opine catabolism. Purified octopine synthase (Ocs, normally expressed in plant tumours) utilized SMM and pyruvate to produce a novel opine, designa

SUBMITTER: Flores-Mireles AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3359404 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature