This award provides travel support for Dr. Carol Bender of Oklahoma State University to conduct collaborative research with Dr. Robin Mitchell at the Mt. Albert Research Center in New Zealand on coronatine synthesis in P. syringae. The phytotoxin coronatine is an important virulence factor in several diseases caused by Pseudomonas syringae. The proposed work focuses on coupling activity, a step which catalyzes amide bond formation between the nonphytotoxic precursors coronafacic and coronamic acid, resulting in the synthesis of coronatine. The research will produce a structural characterization of the coupling activity, will attempt to identify the coupling promoter, and will identify factors which regulate the activity. The investigators plan to study the kinetics and the specificity of the coupling activity using a cell-free assay and C14-labeled precursors to obtain information on coronatine biosynthesis. This research is closely related to the objectives of Dr. Bender's NSF award 89-02561 on the genetics of coronatine synthesis in P. syringae. This award combines the expertise of the two investigators in molecular genetics and organic chemistry and provides Dr. Bender exposure to the radiotracer work in Dr. Mitchell's laboratory.
