Molecular analysis of a pathogenicity locus in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae

One of the chromosomal regions of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae encoding pathogenicity factors had been mapped into a 3.9-kilobase-pair fragment in previous studies. Promoter probe analysis indicated the existence of a promoter near one end of the fragment. DNA sequencing of this fragment revealed the existence of a consensus promoter sequence in the region of the promoter activity and two open reading frames (ORFs) downstream. These ORFs, ORF1 and ORF2, encoded putative polypeptides of 40 and 83 kilodaltons, respectively. All ORF1::Tn5 as well as ORF2::Tn5 mutant strains were nonpathogenic on susceptible host bean plants and were unable to elicit hypersensitive reactions on nonhost tobacco plants. The deduced amino acid sequence of the 83-kilodalton polypeptide contained features characteristic of known integral membrane proteins. Fusion of the lacZ gene to ORF2 led to the expression of a hybrid protein inducible in Escherichia coli. The functions of the putative proteins encoded by ORF1 and ORF2 are unknown at present.