Sílvia de Oliveira Dorta

Citrus sudden death-associated virus (CSDaV) is a monopartite positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus that was suggested to be associated with citrus sudden death (CSD) disease in Brazil. Here, we report the first study of the genetic structure and molecular variability among 31 CSDaV isolates collected from both symptomatic and asymptomatic trees in CSD-affected areas. Analyses of partial nucleotide sequences of five domains of the CSDaV genomic RNA, including those encoding for the methyltransferase, the multi-domain region (MDR), the helicase, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and the coat protein, showed that the MDR coding region was the most diverse region assessed here, and a possible association between this region and virus adaption to different host or plant tissues is considered. Overall, the nucleotide diversity (π) was low for CSDaV isolates, but the phylogenetic analyses revealed the predominance of two main groups, one of which showed a higher association with CSD-sym...

Transgenic citrus plants expressing Bacillus thuringiensis toxin aiming at the control of Diaphorina citri, insect vector of the huanglongbing (HLB) causal agents Diaphorina citri is the insect vector of Candidatus Liberibacter spp., the causal agents of huanglongbing (HLB), the most devastating disease of citrus worldwide, due to the severe losses it induces and the lack of commercial resistant genotypes. For this reason, strategies have been sought to assist in the control of the insect vector, nowadays done almost exclusively with the use of excessive applications of agrochemicals that increase the cost of production and potentiate the aggression to the environment. It has been envisioned the development of transgenic plants that increase the defense response of the plant against Ca. Liberibacter spp. or the vector more effectively, by targeting the expression of target genes in specific tissues, controlled by phloem or constitutive promoters. Our group has sought strategies not ...

Citrus sudden death-associated virus (CSDaV) is a monopartite positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus that was suggested to be associated with citrus sudden death (CSD) disease in Brazil. Here, we report the first study of the genetic structure and molecular variability among 31 CSDaV isolates collected from both symptomatic and asymptomatic trees in CSD-affected areas. Analyses of partial nucleotide sequences of five domains of the CSDaV genomic RNA, including those encoding for the methyltransferase, the multi-domain region (MDR), the helicase, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and the coat protein, showed that the MDR coding region was the most diverse region assessed here, and a possible association between this region and virus adaption to different host or plant tissues is considered. Overall, the nucleotide diversity (π) was low for CSDaV isolates, but the phylogenetic analyses revealed the predominance of two main groups, one of which showed a higher association with CSD-symptomatic plants. Isolates obtained from CSD-symptomatic plants, compared to those obtained from asymptomatic plants, showed higher nucleotide diversity, nonsynonymous and synonymous substitution rates and number of amino acid changes on the coding regions located closer to the 5' end region of the genomic RNA. This work provides new insights into the genetic diversity of the CSDaV, giving support for further epidemiological studies.

Citrus sudden death (CSD) has caused the death of approximately four million orange trees in a very important citrus region in Brazil. Although its etiology is still not completely clear, symptoms and distribution of affected plants indicate a viral disease. In a search for viruses associated with CSD, we have performed a comparative high-throughput sequencing analysis of the transcriptome and small RNAs from CSD-symptomatic and-asymptomatic plants using the Illumina platform. The data revealed mixed infections that included Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) as the most predominant virus, followed by the Citrus sudden death-associated virus (CSDaV), Citrus endogenous pararetrovirus (CitPRV) and two putative novel viruses tentatively named Citrus jingmen-like virus (CJLV), and Citrus virga-like virus (CVLV). The deep sequencing analyses were sensitive enough to differentiate two genotypes of both viruses previously associated with CSD-affected plants: CTV and CSDaV. Our data also showed a putative association of the CSD-symptomatic plants with a specific CSDaV genotype and a likely association with CitPRV as well, whereas the two putative novel viruses showed to be more associated with CSD-asymptomatic plants. This is the first high-throughput sequencing-based study of the viral sequences present in CSD-affected citrus plants, and generated valuable information for further CSD studies.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins are effective in controlling insect pests either through the spraying of products or when expressed in transgenic crops. The discovery of endophytic Bt strains opened new perspectives for studies aimed at the control of sap-sucking insects, such as the Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), a vector of "Candidatus Liberibacter spp.," associated with citrus huanglongbing (HLB). In this study, translocation of endophytic Bt strains in citrus seedlings inoculated with Bt suspension delivered by soil-drench, and their systemic pathogenicity to D. citri nymphs were investigated. The pathogenicity of three wild-type Bt strains against D. citri third-instar nymphs was demonstrated. Among the 10 recombinant strains tested (each of them harboring a single cry or cyt gene), 3 can be highlighted, causing 42%-77% and 66%-90% nymphal mortality at 2 and 5 d after inoculation, respectively. The isolation of Bt cells from young citrus shoots and dead nymphs, and PCR performed with specific primers, confirmed the involvement of the Bt strains in the psyllid mortality. This is the first report showing the translocation of Bt strains from citrus seedling roots to shoots and their potential to control D. citri nymphs that fed on these soil-drench inoculated seedlings. The Bt strains that caused the highest mortality rates have the potential to be used as bioinsecticides to control D. citri and the identified genes can be used for the production of transgenic Bt citrus.

Este é um artigo publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons Attribution, que permite uso, distribuição e reprodução em qualquer meio, sem restrições desde que o trabalho original seja corretamente citado. RESUMO A produção mundial de citros tem sido afetada em função de diversos estresses ambientais somados a problemas fitossanitários. Dentre as doenças, a principal é o huanglongbing (HLB), que se estabelece de forma rápida na cultura, afetando todas as variedades comerciais de citros, ou seja, não existe resistência conhecida dentro de Citrus spp. Ademais, a transmissão mediada por vetores é eficiente. Em função disso, vários grupos de pesquisa ao redor do mundo têm buscado diferentes estratégias visando ao controle da doença, através da melhor compreensão do patossistema e das interações planta-patógeno-vetor. As estratégias buscadas pela comunidade científica vão desde o manejo mais sustentável da cultura, incluindo o uso de agentes de controle biológico, até ferramentas poderosas de biotecnologia que poderiam ser usadas para mitigar a prevalência e a disseminação da doença. Aqui descrevemos algumas dessas estratégias, com ênfase na biotecnologia, visando o controle do HLB pela eliminação ou redução do crescimento bacteriano e o impedimento da transmissão pelo vetor. Dentre as linhas de pesquisa relatadas, a busca por variedades resistentes e/ou tolerantes ao HLB tem sido realizada há alguns anos, seja através da seleção de copas ou porta-enxertos pelo melhoramento convencional, seja por transgenia ou pelo uso de vetores virais e, mais recentemente, pela edição genômica. Termos de indexação: Citrus spp., Candidatus Liberibacter spp., psilídeo dos citros, plantas transgênicas, resistência. Developing alternative strategies for the control of huanglongbing SUMMARY The worldwide citrus production has been affected by adverse environmental conditions and serious phytosanitary problems. Among the diseases, huanglongbing (HLB) can be highlighted, since it quickly disseminates amongst orchards and affects all commercial varieties of citrus, that is, there is no reported resistance towards HLB within Citrus spp. In addition, vector-mediated transmission is efficient. As a result, several research groups around the world have pursued different strategies to better understand this pathosystem, through the plant-pathogen-vector interactions and their mechanisms of action. The strategies sought by the scientific community range from