Onion yellow phytoplasma P38 protein plays a role in adhesion to the hosts. Issue 2 (21st October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Neriya, Yutaro; Maejima, Kensaku; Nijo, Takamichi; Tomomitsu, Tatsuya; Yusa, Akira; Himeno, Misako; Netsu, Osamu; Hamamoto, Hiroshi; Oshima, Kenro; Namba, Shigetou
• Is Part Of: FEMS microbiology letters. Volume 361:Issue 2(2014:Dec.)
• Page Start: 115
• Page End: 122
• Publication Date: 2014-10-21
• Subjects: Microbiology -- Periodicals; 579
• DOI: 10.1111/1574-6968.12620
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0378-1097

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="fml12620-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Adhesins are microbial surface proteins that mediate the adherence of microbial pathogens to host cell surfaces. In <italic>Mollicutes, </italic> several adhesins have been reported in mycoplasmas and spiroplasmas. Adhesins P40 of <italic>Mycoplasma agalactiae</italic> and P89 of <italic>Spiroplasma citri</italic> contain a conserved amino acid sequence known as the <italic>Mollicutes</italic> adhesin motif (MAM), whose function in the host cell adhesion remains unclear. Here, we show that phytoplasmas, which are plant‐pathogenic mollicutes transmitted by insect vectors, possess an adhesion‐containing MAM that was identified in a putative membrane protein, <italic>PAM289</italic> (<italic>P38</italic>), of the '<italic>Candidatus</italic> Phytoplasma asteris, ' OY strain. P38 homologs and their MAMs were highly conserved in related phytoplasma strains. While P38 protein was expressed in OY‐infected insect and plant hosts, binding assays showed that P38 interacts with insect extract, and weakly with plant extract. Interestingly, the interaction of P38 with the insect extract depended on MAM. These results suggest that P38 is a phytoplasma adhesin that interacts with the hosts. In addition, the MAM of adhesins is important for the interaction between P38 protein and hosts.</p> </abstract>