<jats:title>Summary</jats:title><jats:p><jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">P</jats:styled-content>seudomonas corrugata</jats:italic> <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CFBP</jats:styled-content> 5454 produces two kinds of cyclic lipopeptides (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CLP</jats:styled-content>s), cormycin <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content> and corpeptins, both of which possess surfactant, antimicrobial and phytotoxic activities. In this study, we identified genes coding for a putative non‐ribosomal peptide synthetase and an <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ABC</jats:styled-content>‐type transport system involved in corpeptin production. These genes belong to the same transcriptional unit, designated <jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">crpCDE</jats:styled-content></jats:italic>. The genetic organization of this locus is highly similar to other <jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">P</jats:styled-content>seudomonas</jats:italic> <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CLP</jats:styled-content> biosynthetic clusters. Matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization‐time of flight‐mass spectrometry (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">MALDI‐TOF</jats:styled-content>‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">MS</jats:styled-content>) analysis revealed that transporter and synthetase genomic knock‐out mutants were unable to produce corpeptins, but continued to produce cormycin <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>. This suggests that <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CrpCDE</jats:styled-content> is the only system involved in corpeptin production in <jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">P</jats:styled-content>. corrugata</jats:italic> <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CFBP</jats:styled-content> 5454. In addition, phylogenetic analysis revealed that the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CrpE ABC</jats:styled-content> transporter clustered with the transporters of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CLPs</jats:styled-content> with a long peptide chain. Strains depleted in corpeptin production were significantly less virulent than the wild‐type strain when inoculated in tomato plants and induced only chlorosis when infiltrated into <jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">N</jats:styled-content>icotiana benthamiana</jats:italic> leaves. Thus, corpeptins are important effectors of <jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">P</jats:styled-content>. corrugata</jats:italic> interaction with plants. Expression analysis revealed that <jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">crpC</jats:styled-content></jats:italic> transcription occurs at high cell density. Two <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">LuxR</jats:styled-content> transcriptional regulators, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PcoR</jats:styled-content> and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RfiA</jats:styled-content>, have a pivotal role in <jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">crpC</jats:styled-content></jats:italic> expression and thus in corpeptin production.