Function of Pseudomonas fluorescens L5.1-96 proteins MPPE and NADK in wheat root colonization

Pseudomonas fluorescens strain L5.1-96 is exceptional at colonizing wheat roots and resisting desiccation, both characteristics valuable to combatting Take-All disease, a devastating wheat root disease caused by the fungal pathogen Gaeumannomyces graminis var. triciti that drastically decreases wheat crop yield in the state of Washington. As a result, the USDA-ARS has generated a genomic library from the genome of strain L5.1-96 to identify genes which may confer these characteristics. In this study, DNA from the clone PF-25A 8 was cultured, purified using the Qiagen Miniprep kit, and sequenced using SL1 and SR2 primers through Eurofins Genomics. Bioinformatics tools BLAST, ORF Finder, MAFFT, and SWISS Model were used to analyze unambiguous base calls. Two notable proteins that may contribute to enhanced survival and colonization were identified: metallophosphoesterase (MPPE) and NAD+ kinase (NADK). The former functions in DNA repair and may improve PF L5.1-96’s colonization by increasing longevity in the wheat rhizosphere, while the latter may enhance survival by conferring a degree of antibiotic resistance and providing protection against bactericides used on farms.