Journal Article

Comparative transcriptome analysis unveils the tolerance mechanisms of Citrus hystrix in response to ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ infection

Liu, Xuelu, Wang, Xuefeng, Lou, Binghai, Hu, Yan, Zhong, Xi, Zhou, Changyong

2017

Overview

Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), a highly devastating citrus disease, is associated with 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiacitus' (CLas), a member of phloem-inhabiting α-proteobacteria. HLB can affect all cultivated citrus and no cure is currently available. Previous studies showed that Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix), primarily grown in South Asia and Southeast Asia, was tolerant to HLB but the molecular mechanism remains unknown. In this study, gene expression profiling experiments were performed on HLB-tolerant C. hystrix and HLB-susceptible C. sinensis three months after inoculation with CLas using RNA-seq data. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the two citrus cultivars were mainly involved in diverse cellular functions including carbohydrate metabolism, photosynthesis, cell wall metabolism, secondary metabolism, hormone metabolism and oxidation/reduction processes. Notably, starch synthesis and photosynthesis process were not disturbed in CLas-infected C. hystrix. Most of the DEGs involved in cell wall metabolism and secondary metabolism were up-regulated in C. hystrix. In addition, the activation of peroxidases, Cu/Zn-SOD and POD4, may also enhance the tolerance of C. hystrix to CLas. This study provides an insight into the host response of HLB-tolerant citrus cultivar to CLas. C. hystrix is potentially useful for HLB-tolerant/resistant citrus breeding in the future.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Adaptation, Physiological - genetics / Analysis / Arabidopsis / Biochemistry / Biology and Life Sciences / Breeding / Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus / Carbohydrate Metabolism / Carbohydrates / Cell walls / Citrus - metabolism / Citrus - microbiology / Citrus - physiology / Citrus fruits / Citrus greening / Citrus hystrix / Citrus jambhiri / Comparative analysis / Cultivars / Cultivation / Disease / Engineering research / Fruit cultivation / Fruits / Gene expression / Genetically altered foods / Genomes / Genomics / Health aspects / Infections / Inoculation / Kinases / Laboratories / Leaves / Metabolism / Metabolites / Oryza / Oxidation / Pathogenesis / Photosynthesis / Physical Sciences / Physiology / Plant bacterial diseases / Plant biochemistry / Plant biology / Plant Diseases - microbiology / Plant sciences / Proteins / Rhizobiaceae - pathogenicity / Ribonucleic acid / RNA / Starch / Transcription (Genetics) / Transcription factors / Transcriptome / Trends / Zinc