Publications

4485

The X-disease phytoplasma (‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni’) is an obligate pathogen that is capable of infection, persistence, and pathogenicity in both its major plant host ( Prunus spp.) and leafhopper vector ( Colladonus spp.) species. How ‘ Ca. P. pruni’ interacts with its plant and insect hosts, and how it alters its gene expression to do so, is unknown. Therefore, in this study, we conducted comparative RNA sequencing and differential gene expression analysis on ‘ Ca. P. pruni’-infected Prunus avium and Colladonus reductus samples. We found that the phytoplasma altered the expression of approximately 32% of its annotated protein-coding and pseudogenes, including intercellular transporters, proteolytic activity, and membrane structure, as well as upregulating genes associated with potential mobile units when in insect tissues versus in plant tissues. Most notably, differential expression was observed in genes that were identified by in silico analysis as being putative secreted effectors that may play a role in allowing phytoplasma infection and survival in these two very different host systems, as well as inducing X-disease in Prunus spp., which offers targets for control of this damaging pathogen by disrupting phytoplasma–host interactions. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .

Candidatus Rickettsia colombiensis is a new candidate species of Rickettsiae spotted fever group that have been isolated only from ticks. The pathogenicity of Ca. R. colombiensis to human and animals is unknown. This study evaluated the pathogenic potential of Ca. R. colombiensis in Syrian hamsters and assessed the cross-reactivity between Ca. R. colombiensis and other Rickettsia in human and hamster sera. Shell vial technique was employed to isolate Ca. R. colombiensis. Subsequently, five male Syrian hamsters were inoculated intraperitoneally (IP) and five intradermally (ID) with 1 × 106 Vero cells infected with Ca. R. colombiensis. One control hamster was used in each group. The health status was assessed daily, and necropsies were performed. Serum samples were tested by indirect immunofluorescence and tissues were processed by qPCR and histological stains. All Syrian hamsters remained healthy during the trial. No histopathological damages associated with rickettsial infection were observed. No Rickettsial DNA was detected in tissues. Syrian hamsters showed IgG antibody titers ranging from 1:64 to 1:1024. Control hamsters were negative. Regarding human sera, 56% (84/150) had IgG cross-reactivity antibodies against Ca. R. colombiensis. Subsequently, in a selected subset of 30 sera with moderate to high titers, all samples reacted with Ca. R. colombiensis antigen. Under specific conditions of this study, Ca. R. colombiensis did not behave as a highly virulent pathogen in the hamster model, although all infected Syrian hamsters developed IgG antibodies responses. Regarding cross-reactivity, it is possible to serologically diagnose rickettsial infection using Ca. R. colombiensis as an antigen.

“ Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus” (CLas) is an uncultivable α -proteobacterium causing the most destructive and currently incurable citrus disease, Huanglongbing (HLB). The transcription factors (TFs) of CLas are involved in various biological processes. However, the functions of most TFs remain unverified. BolA is reported to be an important transcriptional regulator related to bacterial growth and virulence. Here, the role of BolA in CLas was investigated using gene deletion and complementation assays in the heterologous host Sinorhizobium meliloti ( Sme ). The results showed that BolA CLas and BolA Sme are similar in sequence and transcriptional regulation. BolA positively regulates biofilm formation—evidenced by the significant downregulation of a key gene ( cyaA ) in the mutant (Δ BolA Sme ), without affecting bacterial growth. The upregulation of 16 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to flagellar assembly indicated that BolA negatively regulates CLas motility. BolA deletion also led to the downregulation of ABC transporters (15 DEGs) and lipid metabolism genes (13 DEGs), correlating with reduced stress tolerance. Furthermore, BolA CLas is involved in modulating heme metabolism, as well as protein export, folding, sorting, and degradation. Finally, in vivo screening identified two compounds as BolA inhibitors, which significantly reduced CLas titer in infected periwinkle leaves. Taken together, this study constitutes a relevant step toward the understanding of CLas virulence by demonstrating that BolA is a key TF involved in biofilm formation, stress response, motility, and bacterial physiology, thereby presenting a potential target for disease control.

Pear decline (PD), associated with ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri’, is one of the most severe diseases affecting pear cultivation in Europe and the United States. Several psyllid species act as vectors of phytoplasmas belonging to the 16SrX group and play a key role in the epidemiology of the disease. This study aimed to characterize the epidemiology of pear decline in Sicily using integrated field, molecular, vector, and remote sensing approaches, four years after the first detection of PD in the region. Visual surveys and molecular analyses were conducted over two years in eight pear orchards. A total of 115 plant samples and 101 Cacopsylla spp. specimens, selected from 1435 collected individuals, were analysed, confirming the presence of ‘Ca. P. pyri’ in 69% of symptomatic plants and in 4.6% of C. pyri individuals. Genetic characterization revealed a high degree of similarity among the phytoplasma isolates analysed. Remote sensing analyses conducted since 2018, combined with vector population monitoring, confirmed the epidemic nature of PD and indicated the persistence of a risk of further pathogen spread within the region, supporting the use of remote sensing as a complementary tool for large-scale disease monitoring.

Abstract Comparing laboratory and field experiments is crucial to understand the ecological relevance of insect behaviour. In particular the use of reared and wild insects in behavioural experiments should be carefully considered and decided upon. In this study, we investigated colour preferences of the pear psyllid Cacopsylla pyri for different green colours, using both reared and wild-caught individuals. C. pyri is the main vector for ‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri’, which is a phloem-limited bacterium that causes pear decline, a disease that damages the fruit and negatively affects the tree’s fitness. To investigate, whether the colour of non-symptomatic pear leaves may differ in relation to infection, spectral reflectance measurements were conducted, revealing no consistent differences. Based on these measurements, sticky traps were designed to match the natural reflectance of leaves in three different green colours. Laboratory experiments with reared C. pyri showed no clear preference for any of the three colours, though males exhibited a slight tendency towards light green (532 nm). In contrast, wild-caught psyllids tested under identical laboratory conditions strongly preferred light green traps, regardless of sex. Field experiments did not confirm these preferences. Non-target arthropods exhibited different responses: medium green (541 nm) and dark green (551 nm) traps captured higher numbers, highlighting that trap colour influences bycatch too. Over time, seasonal dynamics showed a moderate shift in psyllid preference towards medium green over time, whereas other arthropods increasingly preferred light green. Our findings demonstrate that the visual behaviour of psyllids is finely tuned to specific green colours, but that individuals reared in a laboratory may not fully represent behaviour of wild animals. The strong agreement between wild-caught laboratory assays and field experiments underscores the ecological validity of a green colour with a wavelength peak of 532 nm as an attractive trap colour. This emphasises the importance of validating laboratory results under natural conditions.

‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas), the causal agent of citrus huanglongbing, is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri. While CLas-positive (CLas+) females exhibit increased fecundity and metabolic demands, their neuroendocrine regulation remains unclear. We propose CLas manipulates dopamine (DA) signaling to enhance psyllid fecundity and CLas proliferation. Metabolomics revealed elevated DA in CLas+ females. Silencing DA synthesis genes and receptor DcDop2 via RNAi reduced lipid reserves, fecundity, and ovarian CLas titers. Through combined in vivo and in vitro experiments, we demonstrated that the microRNA miR-31a suppresses DcDop2 expression by binding to its 3’ untranslated region. Overexpression of miR-31a resulted in decreased DcDop2 expression and CLas titers in the ovaries, eliciting phenotypic defects akin to DcDop2 knockdown. Furthermore, DcDop2 knockdown and miR-31a overexpression reduced juvenile hormone (JH) levels and adipokinetic hormone (AKH) signaling in fat bodies and ovaries. Consequently, CLas hijacks the DA/DcDop2-miR-31a-AKH-JH signaling cascade to improve D. citri lipid metabolism and fecundity, while simultaneously promoting its replication. These findings suggest a mutualistic interaction between CLas proliferation and ovarian development within the insect host that enrich our understanding of the molecular interplay between plant pathogens and vector insects and offer novel targets and strategies for the field management of HLB.