Syringomycin E is a member of a class of lipodepsinonapeptide molecules that are secreted by the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae.

Syringomycins are virulence determinants, which means that their secretion is required for the manifestation of disease symptoms on a number of stone fruit crop plants.

[2] They can function as detergents which are powerful enough to dissolve plant membranes at high concentrations.

In addition to being surfactants, aggregates of syringomycins can insert into plant cell membranes and form small pores.

It is believed that P. syringae benefits from the release of nutrients that occurs as a consequence of cellular lysis.