Publications

4855

AbstractThe most damaging citrus diseases are Huanglongbing (HLB) and citrus canker, which are caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CaLas) and Xanthomonas citri pv. citri (Xcc), respectively. Endolysins from bacteriophages are a possible option for disease resistance in plant breeding. Here, we report improvement of citrus resistance to HLB and citrus canker using the LasLYS1 and LasLYS2 endolysins from CaLas. LasLYS2 demonstrated bactericidal efficacy against several Rhizobiaceae bacteria and Xcc, according to inhibition zone analyses. The two genes, driven by a strong promoter from Cauliflower mosaic virus, 35S, were integrated into Carrizo citrange via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. More than 2 years of greenhouse testing indicated that LasLYS2 provided substantial and long-lasting resistance to HLB, allowing transgenic plants to retain low CaLas titers and no obvious symptoms while also clearing CaLas from infected plants in the long term. LasLYS2 transgenic plants with improved HLB resistance also showed resistance to Xcc, indicating that LasLYS2 had dual resistance to HLB and citrus canker. A microbiome study of transgenic plants revealed that the endolysins repressed Xanthomonadaceae and Rhizobiaceae populations in roots while increasing Burkholderiaceae and Rhodanobacteraceae populations, which might boost the citrus defense response, according to transcriptome analysis. We also found that Lyz domain 2 is the key bactericidal motif of LasLYS1 and LasLYS2. Four endolysins with potential resistance to HLB and citrus canker were found based on the structures of LasLYS1 and LasLYS2. Overall, the work shed light on the mechanisms of resistance of CaLas-derived endolysins, providing insights for designing endolysins to develop broad-spectrum disease resistance in citrus.

AbstractNitrate leaching from agricultural soils is increasingly found in groundwater, a primary source of drinking water worldwide. This nitrate influx can potentially stimulate the biological oxidation of iron in anoxic groundwater reservoirs. Nitrate-reducing iron-oxidizing (NRFO) bacteria have been extensively studied in laboratory settings, yet their ecophysiology in natural environments remains largely unknown. To this end, we established a pilot-scale filter on nitrate-rich groundwater to elucidate the structure and metabolism of nitrate-reducing iron-oxidizing microbiomes under oligotrophic conditions mimicking natural groundwaters. The enriched community stoichiometrically removed iron and nitrate consistently with NRFO metabolism. Genome-resolved metagenomics revealed the underlying metabolic network between the dominant iron-dependent denitrifying autotrophs and the less abundant organoheterotrophs. The most abundant genome belonged to a newCandidateorder, named Siderophiliales. This new species, “CandidatusSiderophilus nitratireducens”, carries central genes to iron oxidation (cytochromec cyc2), carbon fixation (rbc), and for the sole periplasmic nitrate reductase (nap). To our knowledge, this is the first report ofnap-based lithoautotrophic growth, and we demonstrate that iron oxidation coupled to dissimilatory reduction of nitrate to nitrite is thermodynamically favourable under realistic Fe3+/Fe2+andconcentration ratios. Ultimately, by bridging the gap between laboratory investigations and real-world conditions, this study provides insights into the intricate interplay between nitrate and iron in groundwater ecosystems, and expands our understanding of NRFOs taxonomic diversity and ecological role.

Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by phloem-limited ‘ Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas), is the primary limiting factor of production in most citrus regions of the world. After infection, CLas is transported systemically throughout the phloem tissues following the source-sink movement. Split-root rhizoboxes and one-sided graft inoculation above the split trunk was used to understand if the vertical distance of the inoculum source and different anatomical structures (grafted or seedling trees) can affect the speed of the CLas movement, as well as the effects of the seasonality on these movements. The time for CLas to reach the roots was not affected by either distance of the inoculum source or tree type. The seasonal infection period appears to have an important effect on CLas movement. Trees inoculated in the summer had fast and uniform movement (first detection at 4 weeks after inoculation). Plants inoculated in the winter had a slow and uneven movement (first CLas detection at 14 weeks after inoculation). Our results indicate that summer and spring are the seasons of CLas down and lateral movement, but this is independent of the vertical distance of the inoculum source or anatomical structures of the plants. The findings from this study aid in the management of HLB in the field, as well as improve the methods for CLas detection. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .

‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni’ is the causative agent of X-disease on peach ( Prunus persica) trees. Infected trees exhibit premature yellowing, leaf necrosis causing a shot-hole appearance, limb dieback, and eventual death. How pathogen infection leads to these symptoms is unknown. This study undertook a modern characterization of the disease by assessing the physiological and transcriptomic consequences of phytoplasma infection. Phytoplasma titer was high in the symptomatic tissues and undetected or low in asymptomatic tissues. Symptomatic leaves had a significant decrease in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids. Transcriptomic analysis showed alterations in genes related to phytohormone synthesis and signaling, circadian rhythms, lignification, and sugar synthesis and transport. Several transcripts that might be related to symptom development were identified. Collectively, these data give a much clearer picture of symptom development in ‘ Ca. P. pruni’-infected P. persica and provide several avenues for further research in determining how ‘ Ca. P. pruni’ interacts with its host to elicit the observed symptoms. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .