Publications

4874

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.

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 Liberibacter solanacearum’ (Lso) is a phloem-limited pathogen associated with devastating diseases in members of the Solanaceae and Apiaceae and vectored by several psyllid species. Different Lso haplotypes have been identified, and LsoA and LsoB are responsible for diseases in Solanaceae crops. Our efforts are aimed at identifying pathogenicity factors used by this bacterium to thrive in different hosts. Bacterial secreted proteins can play a role in host colonization or the manipulation of the host immune responses; these proteins are called effectors. In this study, we identified six LsoB-specific proteins with a conserved secretion motif as well as a conserved N-terminal domain in the mature protein. These proteins had different expression and secretion patterns but a similar subcellular localization in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, suggesting that they play different roles regardless of their conserved secretion motif. One of these proteins, CKC_04425, was expressed at high levels in the insect vector and the host plant, indicating that it could play a role in both the plant and insect hosts, whereas the others were mainly expressed in the plant. One protein, CKC_05701, was able to efficiently suppress programmed cell death and reactive oxygen species production, suggesting that it may have a virulence role in LsoB-specific pathogenesis.