Sponsoring Institution
Agricultural Research Service/USDA
Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
USDA COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Project Director
HECK M L
Accession Number
430995
Project Number
8062-22410-006-06A
Dates
2016-04-18 - 2018-08-31
Recipient Organization
BOYCE THOMPSON INSTITUTE
TOWER ROAD
ITHACA,NY 14853
Keywords
acp
asian
asiaticus
candidatus
citrus
clas
greening
hlb
huanglongbing
interaction
liberibacter
mass
pir
protein
psyllid
reporter
spectrometry
Research Effort
Applied (25%)
Basic (75%)
Developmental (0%)
Classification Parameters
| Knowledge Area | Subject of Investigation | Field of Science | Percent |
|---|
| 215 - Biological Control of Pests Affecting Plants |
2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops |
1000 - Biochemistry and biophysics |
100% |
Goals / Objectives
The objective is to enable growers to rapidly identify trees newly infected with Huanglongbing (HlB) by characterizing biomarkers that are predictive of infection before visual symptoms are observed on the tree. Early-infection HlB biomarkers will provide growers with critical information and allow them to rouge infected trees early to prevent the spread of infection within a grove. For California, early detection will help prevent a rapid spread of the disease. The second component of our work will enable us to develop precision inhibitors that block protein interactions critical for ACP survival and Clas transmission. Proof of concept is in hand for a protein interaction that is critical to regulate normal Clas growth.
Methods (unparsed)
Our goal is to leverage findings from our ongoing citrus research project on the discovery of plant peptide disease biomarkers, and the identification of protein interactions between the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (Clas), to provide citrus growers with novel control strategies for Huanglongbing (HlB; citrus greening). â¿¢ HlB peptide biomarker discovery will build on findings from graft transmission analysis by characterizing citrus protein responses to Clas transmission by ACP feeding. â¿¢ Using data on ACP and Clas proteins obtained from Protein Interaction Reporter (PIR) experiments, specific inhibitors will be designed and tested for the ability to block the activity of proteins necessary for Clas transmission. Additional protein interaction discovery will be pursued using alternate Clas enrichment strategies. Summary. We will continue development of citrus peptide biomarkers of HlB for early disease detection, using the ACP to inoculate citrus plants in growth chamber studies. We successfully implemented a protocol for Clas enrichment from ACP samples and identified interactions between ACP and Clas proteins, and are poised to design peptide inhibitors of these proteins and evaluate their suitability as vector control agents. â¿¢ Mass spectrometry-based proteomics will be used to discover consistent changes in the abundance of specific peptides in citrus leaves in response to Clas transmission by the ACP for advanced early detection technology. â¿¢ PIR technology has been used with Clas-enriched samples prepared from ACP to discover interactions between ACP and Clas proteins. â¿¢ Interactions between Clas and the ACP during circulative transmission of the citrus greening pathogen within the insect vector represent high-value targets for specific and effective control of the spread of HlB. â¿¢ We will exploit this highly refined structural data to design precision peptide inhibitors to specifically bind to proteins critical to pathogen transmission and block their activity. â¿¢ Alternate Clas enrichment strategies will be used in tandem with PIR technology to identify additional protein interactions critical to Clas transmission.
Methods
Our goal is to leverage findings from our ongoing citrus research project on the discovery of plant peptide disease biomarkers, and the identification of protein interactions between the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (Clas), to provide citrus growers with novel control strategies for Huanglongbing (HlB; citrus greening). HlB peptide biomarker discovery will build on findings from graft transmission analysis by characterizing citrus protein responses to Clas transmission by ACP feeding. Using data on ACP and Clas proteins obtained from Protein Interaction Reporter (PIR) experiments, specific inhibitors will be designed and tested for the ability to block the activity of proteins necessary for Clas transmission. Additional protein interaction discovery will be pursued using alternate Clas enrichment strategies. Summary. We will continue development of citrus peptide biomarkers of HlB for early disease detection, using the ACP to inoculate citrus plants in growth chamber studies. We successfully implemented a protocol for Clas enrichment from ACP samples and identified interactions between ACP and Clas proteins, and are poised to design peptide inhibitors of these proteins and evaluate their suitability as vector control agents. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics will be used to discover consistent changes in the abundance of specific peptides in citrus leaves in response to Clas transmission by the ACP for advanced early detection technology. PIR technology has been used with Clas-enriched samples prepared from ACP to discover interactions between ACP and Clas proteins. â¿¢ Interactions between Clas and the ACP during circulative transmission of the citrus greening pathogen within the insect vector represent high-value targets for specific and effective control of the spread of HlB. â¿¢ We will exploit this highly refined structural data to design precision peptide inhibitors to specifically bind to proteins critical to pathogen transmission and block their activity. â¿¢ Alternate Clas enrichment strategies will be used in tandem with PIR technology to identify additional protein interactions critical to Clas transmission.