• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.872-876
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• 2004

The plant pathogen Erwinia pyrifoliae was infected with bacteriophage PEa1(h), which produced a translucent halo plaque when grown on a lawn of E. pyrifoliae. To investigate the function of an exopolysaccharide (EPS)-depolymerase in the growth of E. pyrifoliae, an EPS-depolymerase gene was synthesized using the PCR method and sequenced. The synthesized gene was then transferred to E. pyrifoliae. The transformed E. pyrifoliae did not produce any ooze, and its growth was inhibited. However, the EPS-depolymerase did not appear to induce cell death. Accordingly, the present results suggest that an EPS-depolymerase may be effective in inhibiting the cell growth or infection of the pathogen E. pyrifoliae.