( protein that correspond to crucial site...)Bacterial protein mimics host to cripple defenses

protein that correspond to crucial sites on ubiquitin ligase. These changes rendered Pseudomonas harmless to susceptible tomato plants, and made the purified protein inactive. AvrPtoB's function is remarkable not only because its amino acid sequence is so different from other ubiquitin ligases, but also because bacteria don't use ubiquitin to recycle their own proteins.

"An interesting question is where this protein came from," Martin noted. "Did the bacteria steal it from a host and modify it over time, or did it evolve independently? We don't know."

Regardless, the discovery "helps us understand how organisms regulate cell death on a fundamental level," Martin said. AvrPtoB provides a sophisticated tool researchers can use to knock out PCD brought on by a variety of conditions, shedding light on immunity. The protein itself or a derivative might one day be applied to control disease in crops or in people. For now, Martin and Abramovitch are working to find which proteins AvrPtoB acts on, and what role those proteins play in host PCD.

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Source:Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research


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