{
  "abstract": "In Xanthomonas, RpfF is a bifunctional enzyme having both enoyl-ACP dehydratase and acyl-ACP thioesterase activities catalyzed by a single active site. While the dehydratase activity is essential for producing quorum-sensing signals of the diffusible signal factor (DSF) family, the physiological role of the thioesterase activity remained unclear. Singh and coworkers have reported that deletion of the gene encoding RpfF (a ∆rpfF strain) of the rice pathogen X. oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) resulted in loss of membrane integrity (Singh et al, 2022). We report that the loss in membrane integrity is due to lack of the RpfF thioesterase activity. This was demonstrated by restoration of membrane integrity in the ΔrpfF strain by expression of a foreign thioesterase. Thioesterases originating in either E. coli or a plant enzyme fully restored virulence in rice, bacterial growth, and tolerance of membrane stress. The thioesterase overcame the defects in membrane lipid synthesis reported previously and restored the lipid components to wild-type levels. Radiolabeling revealed that fatty acid synthesis in the ΔrpfF strain proceeded at only one-third of the wild-type rate, which was rescued by complementation with thioesterase encoding genes. Thus, the acyl-ACP thioesterase activity of RpfF is a key regulator of de novo fatty acid synthesis and membrane integrity. We propose a dual-function model wherein RpfF maintains membrane lipid homeostasis via its thioesterase activity while concurrently producing DSF signals via its dehydratase activity to orchestrate quorum sensing. Author summary: We demonstrate that the Xoo RpfF enzyme serves a dual role: it produces DSF-family quorum-sensing signals and, through its acyl-ACP thioesterase activity, maintains membrane integrity. By regulating de novo fatty acid biosynthesis, RpfF ensures an optimal phospholipid-to-LPS ratio and a balanced fatty acid profile, both critical for membrane function. Remarkably, this membrane-protective role is itself modulated by DSF-mediated quorum sensing, enabling the pathogen to coordinate virulence factor production with rapid membrane remodeling. Such adaptive capacity enhances stress tolerance and host adaptation, ultimately maximizing infectivity. RpfF function is conserved across Xanthomonas species, highlighting its broad biological and agricultural significance.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for the Development Biology and Environmental Adaptation of Agricultural Organisms, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.",
    "Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America.",
    "Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.",
    "Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America."
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Lizhen Luo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zhe Hu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Mingfeng Yan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        3
      ],
      "name": "John E Cronan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Haihong Wang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9458-4697"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/crbffa3mwsmzy.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.ppat.1014669",
  "fulltext_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1014669",
  "id": "crbffa3mwsmzy",
  "issns": [
    "1553-7374",
    "1553-7366"
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  "landing_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1014669",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1110|Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Studies"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Biochemistry/Glycobiology/Polysaccharides/Exopolysaccharides"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Biochemistry/Lipids"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Biochemistry/Lipids/Fatty acids"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Biochemistry/Lipids/Phospholipids"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular structures and organelles/Cell membranes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Medical microbiology/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Bacteria/Enterobacteriaceae/Escherichia/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Bacteria/Gut bacteria/Escherichia/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Clinical medicine/Signs and symptoms/Dehydration (medicine)"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Pathology and laboratory medicine/Pathogens/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Model organisms/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Prokaryotic models/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Chemical synthesis"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Model organisms/Escherichia coli"
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  "openalex": "W7220674593",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1014669&type=printable",
  "pmcid": "PMC13660987",
  "pmid": "42837415",
  "published": "2026-10-06",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/crbffa3mwsmzy.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:36Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.ppat.1014669",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1014669"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:03Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42837415",
      "source": "europepmc",
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:cell biology",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
    },
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:microbiology",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "The RpfF Acyl-ACP thioesterase of major rice pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae is essential for maintenance of membrane function and virulence",
  "title_text": "The RpfF Acyl-ACP thioesterase of major rice pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae is essential for maintenance of membrane function and virulence",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:03Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/crbffa3mwsmzy",
  "venue": "PLOS Pathogens",
  "versions": []
}