Genome Mining Discovery of Protegenins A-D, Bacterial Polyynes Involved in the Antioomycete and Biocontrol Activities of Pseudomonas protegens

ACS Chem Biol. 2022 Dec 16;17(12):3313-3320. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00276. Epub 2021 May 21.

Abstract

Some bacteria uniquely produce "bacterial polyynes", which possess a conjugated C≡C bond starting with a terminal alkyne, and use them as chemical weapons against hosts and competitors. Pseudomonas protegens Cab57, a biocontrol agent against plant pathogens, has an orphan biosynthetic gene cluster for bacterial polyynes (named protegenins). In this study, the isolation, structure elucidation, and biological characterization of protegenins A-D are reported. The structures of protegenins A-D determined by spectroscopic and chemical techniques were octadecanoic acid derivatives possessing an ene-tetrayne, ene-triyne-ene, or ene-triyne moiety. The protegenins exhibited weak to strong antioomycete activity against Pythium ultimum OPU774. The deletion of proA, a protegenin biosynthetic gene, resulted in the reduction of the antioomycete activity of P. protegens. The Gac/Rsm system, a quorum sensing-like system of Pseudomonas bacteria, regulated the production of protegenins. The production profile of protegenins was dependent on the culturing conditions, suggesting a control mechanism for protegenin production selectivity. P. protegens suppressed the damping-off of cucumber seedlings caused by P. ultimum, and this protective effect was reduced in the proA-deletion mutant. Altogether, protegenins are a new class of bacterial polyynes which contribute to the antioomycete and plant-protective effects of P. protegens.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cucumis sativus* / genetics
  • Cucumis sativus* / microbiology
  • Multigene Family
  • Polyynes*
  • Pseudomonas / genetics

Substances

  • Polyynes

Supplementary concepts

  • Pseudomonas protegens