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Genetic and molecular evidence that the Pseudomonas syringae type III effector protein AvrRpt2 is a cysteine protease
Author(s) -
Axtell Michael J.,
Chisholm Stephen T.,
Dahlbeck Douglas,
Staskawicz Brian J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2003.03666.x
Subject(s) - pseudomonas syringae , arabidopsis , effector , biology , virulence , protease , hypersensitive response , cysteine protease , pathogen , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , biochemistry , plant disease resistance , mutant , enzyme , gene
Summary Upon delivery to the plant cell during infection, the Pseudomonas syringae effector protein AvrRpt2 undergoes proteolytic processing, enhances pathogen virulence and causes the elimination of the Arabidopsis RIN4 protein. A structure‐prediction method was employed in order to investigate possible biochemical functions of AvrRpt2. Results of a secondary structure prediction algorithm suggest that the functional C‐terminal portion of AvrRpt2 is a cysteine protease. Mutation of predicted catalytic residues within this portion of AvrRpt2 abolished in planta processing, elimination of Arabidopsis RIN4, and the ability to trigger an RPS2 ‐specific resistance response. These data indicate that AvrRpt2 is most likely a sequence divergent cysteine protease whose activity is required for elimination of RIN4 during infection.