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Genomics of iron acquisition in the plant pathogen Erwinia amylovora: insights in the biosynthetic pathway of the siderophore desferrioxamine E

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Abstract

Genomics has clarified the biosynthetic pathway for desferrioxamine E critical for iron acquisition in the enterobacterial fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora. Evidence for each of the individual steps and the role of desferrioxamine E biosynthesis in pathogen virulence and cell protection from host defenses is presented. Using comparative genomics, it can be concluded that desferrioxamine biosynthesis is ancestral within the genera Erwinia and Pantoea.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Cosima Pelludat (ACW) for insightful discussion during preparation of this review. Funding was provided in part by the Swiss Secretariat for Education and Research (SBF C07.0038) and the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (BLW Fire Blight Research—Pathogen). This work was conducted within the Swiss ProfiCrops program and the European Science Foundation research network COST Action 864.

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  1. Plant Protection Division, Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil ACW, 8820, Wädenswil, Switzerland

    Theo H. M. Smits & Brion Duffy

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  1. Theo H. M. Smits
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  2. Brion Duffy
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Correspondence to Theo H. M. Smits.

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Communicated by John Helmann.

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Smits, T.H.M., Duffy, B. Genomics of iron acquisition in the plant pathogen Erwinia amylovora: insights in the biosynthetic pathway of the siderophore desferrioxamine E. Arch Microbiol 193, 693–699 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-011-0739-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-011-0739-0

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