Phosphatidylinositol as a Component of the Ice Nucleating Site of Pseudomonas syringae and Erwinia herbiola

Phosphatidylinositol has been identified as a major component of the ice nucleating site on the outer surface of two bacteria, Pseudomonas syringae and Erwinia herbicola. Plant lectins binding to inositol and a highly purified phosphatidylinositol-specific hydrolase (a C(II) lipase) inhibited or decreased the efficiency of the ice nucleating activity (INA) of both bacteria. Extracts of these two INA(+) bacteria had phosphatidylinositol synthase activity while extracts from related INA(-) Pseudomonas or Erwinia strains had no detectable synthase activity. An Escherichia coli strain acquired phosphatidylinositol synthase activity when transformed to the INA(+) phenotype with recombinant plasmids containing fragments of P. syringae DNA.