Publications

4474

‘ 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 .

‘ 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.