Variable Membrane Protein A of Flavescence Doree Phytoplasma Binds the Midgut Perimicrovillar Membrane of Euscelidius variegatus and Promotes Adhesion to Its Epithelial Cells.

ABSTRACT: Phytoplasmas are uncultivated plant pathogens and cell wall-less bacteria and are transmitted from plant to plant by hemipteran insects. The phytoplasma's circulative propagative cycle in insects requires the crossing of the midgut and salivary glands, and primary adhesion to cells is an initial step toward the invasion process. The flavescence dorée (FD) phytoplasma possesses a set of variable membrane proteins (Vmps) exposed on its surface, and this pathogen is suspected to interact with insect cells. The results showed that VmpA is expressed by the flavescence dorée phytoplasma present in the midgut and salivary glands. Phytoplasmas cannot be cultivated at present, and no mutant can be produced to investigate the putative role of Vmps in the adhesion of phytoplasma to insect cells. To o

SUBMITTER: Arricau-Bouvery N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5881044 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature