Role of EPS in mitigation of plant abiotic stress: The case of Methylobacterium extorquens PA1

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Adele Vanacore - , University of Naples Federico II (Author)
  • Maria Concetta Forgione - , University of Naples Federico II (Author)
  • Domenico Cavasso - , University of Naples Federico II (Author)
  • Ha Ngoc Anh Nguyen - , Bottom-up Synthetic Biology (Junior Research Group) (Author)
  • Antonio Molinaro - , University of Naples Federico II (Author)
  • James P Saenz - , Bottom-up Synthetic Biology (Junior Research Group) (Author)
  • Gerardino D'Errico - , University of Naples Federico II (Author)
  • Luigi Paduano - , University of Naples Federico II (Author)
  • Roberta Marchetti - , University of Naples Federico II (Author)
  • Alba Silipo - , University of Naples Federico II (Author)

Abstract

Methylobacterium extorquens is a facultative methylotrophic Gram-negative bacterium, often associated with plants, that exhibits a unique ability to grow in the presence of high methanol concentrations, which serves as a single carbon energy source. We found that M. extorquens strain PA1 secretes a mixture of different exopolysaccharides (EPSs) when grown in reference medium or in presence of methanol, that induces the secretion of a peculiar and heterogenous mixture of EPSs, with different structure, composition, repeating units, bulk and a variable degree of methylation. These factors influenced 3D structure and supramolecular assets, diffusion properties and hydrodynamic radius, and likely contribute to increase methanol tolerance and cell stability. No direct methanol involvement in the EPSs solvation shell was detected, indicating that the polymer exposure to methanol is water mediated. The presence of methanol induces no changes in size and shape of the polymer chains, highlighting how water-methanol mixtures are a good solvent for refEPS and metEPS.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number119863
JournalCarbohydrate polymers
Volume295
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85134534124
unpaywall 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119863
ORCID /0000-0001-8901-4377/work/142232417

Keywords

Keywords

  • Abiotic stress, Conformation, Exopolysaccharide, Methylobacterium extorquens, Molecular modelling, NMR spectroscopy