Post transcriptional control of plant pectin methylesterases expressed during Botrytis cinerea infection

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Daniela Bellincampi, Daniele Del Corpo1, Mickael Lafond, Vincenzo Lionetti,
Maria Rosaria Fullone Irene Romano and Thierry Giardina

Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Aix-Marseille Université, France
Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti - Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

: J Plant Physiol Pathol

Abstract

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Arabidopsis Pectin Methylesterases (PMEs) specifically expressed during B. cinerea belongs to the ProPMEs subgroup. These ProPME members have, in addition to the PME domain, a Pro domain located at N-terminus of the ProPME gene. The cleavage of Pro-domain and PME-domain at a conserved Processing Motif (PM) by subtilisin-like serine proteases (SBTs) was proposed to be required to activate secreted PMEs in the apoplast. In addition to SBT, PME activity is post- transcriptionally regulated by secreted proteinaceous PME Inhibitors (PMEI). PMEI are expressed by plants during infection to inhibit endogenous enzymes to protect cell wall integrity for immunity against necrotrophic pathogens. Sequence similarities between the Pro-domains with PMEIs indicate their evolutionary relationships with a possible role of Pro-domain in auto-inhibitory activity against the PME protein. A B. cinerea induced proPME and both Pro and PME-domains were independently expressed in Pichia pastoris and purified to homogeneity. The activity of the purified ProPME, Pro-domain and PME-domain was biochemically determined. The possible inhibitory activity of Pro-domain against defence-related PMEs is explored.

Biography

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Daniela Bellincampi is expertise in the field of plant science and she works as a professor at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.