Killiny, Nabil


Publications
19

A Transmission Assay of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ Using Citrus Phloem Sap and Topical Feeding to Its Insect Vector, Diaphorina citri

Citation
Killiny, Jones (2024). Phytopathology® 114 (9)
Names
Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus
Abstract
‘ Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, the putative causal agent of citrus greening disease, is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, in a propagative, circulative, and persistent manner. Unfortunately, ‘ Ca. L. asiaticus’ is not yet available in pure culture to carry out Koch's postulates and to confirm its etiology. When a pure culture is available, an assay to test its infectivity in both the insect vector and the plant host will be crucial. Herein, we described a transmi

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Accumulation Contributes to Citrus sinensis Response against ‘Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus’ via Modulation of Multiple Metabolic Pathways and Redox Status

Citation
Nehela, Killiny (2023). Plants 12 (21)
Names
Liberibacter
Abstract
Huanglongbing (HLB; also known as citrus greening) is the most destructive bacterial disease of citrus worldwide with no known sustainable cure yet. Herein, we used non-targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics to prove that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation might influence the homeostasis of several metabolic pathways, as well as antioxidant defense machinery, and their metabolism-related genes. Overall, 41 metabolites were detected in ‘Valencia’ sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) leaf extrac

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Supplementation Boosts the Phytohormonal Profile in ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’-Infected Citrus

Citation
Nehela, Killiny (2023). Plants 12 (20)
Names
Liberibacter Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus
Abstract
The devastating citrus disease, Huanglongbing (HLB), is associated with ‘Candidatus Liberibacter sp.’ and transmitted by citrus psyllids. Unfortunately, HLB has no known sustainable cure yet. Herein, we proposed γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as a potential eco-friendly therapeutic solution to HLB. Herein, we used GC/MS-based targeted metabolomics combined with gene expression to investigate the role of GABA in citrus response against HLB and to better understand its relationship(s) with different p

Not Just a Cycle: Three gab Genes Enable the Non-Cyclic Flux Toward Succinate via GABA Shunt in ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’–Infected Citrus

Citation
Nehela, Killiny (2022). Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions® 35 (3)
Names
Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus
Abstract
Although the mitochondria retain all required enzymes for an intact tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, plants might shift the cyclic flux from the TCA cycle to an alternative noncyclic pathway via γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt under specific physiological conditions. We hypothesize that several genes may ease this noncyclic flux and contribute to the citrus response to the phytopathogenic bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, the causal agent of Huanglongbing in citrus. To test this hy

Generous Hosts: ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ Growth in Madagascar Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) Highlights Its Nutritional Needs

Citation
Killiny (2022). Phytopathology® 112 (1)
Names
Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus
Abstract
‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, the putative causal agent of citrus greening, is not available in pure culture yet. In addition to trees of citrus and citrus relatives, ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ can grow in Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus). Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we compared the phloem sap composition in sweet orange ‘Valencia’ (Citrus sinensis) and periwinkle plants after the infection with ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’. Interestingly, in contrast to our previous studies of

Diaphorina citri Genome Possesses a Complete Melatonin Biosynthesis Pathway Differentially Expressed under the Influence of the Phytopathogenic Bacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus

Citation
Nehela, Killiny (2021). Insects 12 (4)
Names
Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus
Abstract
Melatonin is synthesized from the amino acid L-tryptophan via the shikimic acid pathway and ubiquitously distributed in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Although most of melatonin biosynthesis genes were characterized in several plants and animal species including the insect model, Drosophila melanogaster, none of these enzymes have been identified from the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri. We used comprehensive in silico analysis and gene expression techniques to identify the melatonin bi