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. 1989 Dec;171(12):6649–6655. doi: 10.1128/jb.171.12.6649-6655.1989

Cyclic diguanylic acid and cellulose synthesis in Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

D Amikam 1, M Benziman 1
PMCID: PMC210559  PMID: 2556370

Abstract

The occurrence of the novel regulatory nucleotide bis(3',5')-cyclic diguanylic acid (c-di-GMP) and its relation to cellulose biogenesis in the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens was studied. c-di-GMP was detected in acid extracts of 32P-labeled cells grown in various media, and an enzyme responsible for its formation from GTP was found to be present in cell-free preparations. Cellulose synthesis in vivo was quantitatively assessed with [14C]glucose as a tracer. The organism produced cellulose during growth in the absence of plant cells, and this capacity was retained in resting cells. Synthesis of a cellulosic product from UDP-glucose in vitro with membrane preparations was markedly stimulated by c-di-GMP and its precursor GTP and was further enhanced by Ca2+. The calcium effect was attributed to inhibition of a c-di-GMP-degrading enzyme shown to be present in the cellulose synthase-containing membranes.

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Selected References

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