New environmental-friendly compounds to combat citrus canker

• Grant number: 13/50367-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: June 01, 2014 - May 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Convênio/Acordo: Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)
• Principal Investigator: Henrique Ferreira
• Grantee: Henrique Ferreira
• Principal researcher abroad: Dirk-Jan Scheffers
• Institution abroad: University of Groningen, Netherlands
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The culture of citrus fruits is one of the most important agricultural economic activities in Brazil, notably in the state of São Paulo. Citrus culture is constantly under threat of plant diseases. A major disease is citrus canker that is caused by the bacterial plant pathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xac). Current modes of prevention of plant infection by Xac or the spreading of infection to new areas include spraying trees with copper containing bactericides and eradication of trees. Despite ali the efforts made to control citrus diseases, last decade registered the loss of an enormous amount of trees (corresponding to around 300 Million tons of fruit/year) and a negative impact on soil quality is expected since copper accumulates in the environment. Therefore, more sustainable ways to combat citrus canker are urgently needed. The Brazilian partner in this proposal has recently identified and characterized a class of plant-derived semi-synthetic compounds, the alkyl gallates, with promising activity against Xac. The Dutch partner in this proposal is currently involved in the identification of the bacterial target of the alkyl gallates and initial results strongly suggest that the target of the compounds is the essential bacterial cell division protein FtsZ. Our very promising initial results form the basis of this proposal, that aims to improve the sustainability of citriculture by developing novel, environmental-friendly, antibacterials to combat Xac. We will use existing and novel lead compounds with activity against Xac as a platform for chemical synthesis to enhance the antibacterial activity. The bacterial targets of the compounds and their modes of action will be characterized in detail. Finally, experiments to evaluate the efficacy of these compounds in the field and their toxicity to plants and animais will be determined. Combined, we expect to develop compounds that can be used as a sustainable method to combat citrus canker and contribute with new alternatives to control the spread of Xac in citrus orchards. (AU)

Scientific publications

(12)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DANTAS, GIORDANNI C.; MARTINS, PAULA M. M.; MARTINS, DANIELA A. B.; GOMES, ELENI; FERREIRA, HENRIQUE. A protein expression system for tandem affinity purification in Xanthomonas citri subsp citri. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, v. 47, n. 2, p. 518-526, APR-JUN 2016. (13/50367-8, 13/19806-5)

KOPACZ, MALGORZATA M.; LORENZONI, ANDRE S. G.; POLAQUINI, CARLOS R.; REGASINI, LUIS O.; SCHEFFERS, DIRK-JAN. Purification and characterization of FtsZ from the citrus canker pathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri. MICROBIOLOGYOPEN, v. 8, n. 5, MAY 2019. (13/50367-8, 14/18330-0)

SAVIETTO, ABIGAIL; POLAQUINI, CARLOS ROBERTO; KOPACZ, MALGORZATA; SCHEFFERS, DIRK-JAN; MARQUES, BEATRIZ CARVALHO; REGASINI, LUIS OCTAVIO; FERREIRA, HENRIQUE. Antibacterial activity of monoacetylated alkyl gallates against Xanthomonas citri subsp citri. Archives of Microbiology, v. 200, n. 6, p. 929-937, AUG 2018. (13/50367-8, 14/50880-0)

LACERDA, LILIAN A.; CAVALCA, LUCIA B.; MARTINS, PAULA M. M.; GOVONE, JOSE S.; BACCI, JR., MAURICIO; FERREIRA, HENRIQUE. Protein depletion using the arabinose promoter in Xanthomonas citri subsp citri. PLASMID, v. 90, p. 44-52, MAR 2017. (13/14013-7, 13/50367-8)

NAZARE, ANA CAROLINA; POLAQUINI, CARLOS ROBERTO; CAVALCA, LUCIA BONCI; ANSELMO, DAIANE BERTHOLIN; CALMON SAIKI, MARILIA DE FREITAS; MONTEIRO, DIEGO ALVES; ZIELINSKA, ALEKSANDRA; RAHAL, PAULA; GOMES, ELENI; SCHEFFERS, DIRK-JAN; et al. Design of Antibacterial Agents: Alkyl Dihydroxybenzoates against Xanthomonas citri subsp citri. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES, v. 19, n. 10, OCT 2018. (13/50367-8, 14/18330-0, 15/50162-2, 17/50216-0)

LORENZONI, ANDRE S. G.; DANTAS, GIORDANNI C.; BERGSMA, TESSA; FERREIRA, HENRIQUE; SCHEFFERS, DIRK-JAN. Xanthomonas citri MinC Oscillates from Pole to Pole to Ensure Proper Cell Division and Shape. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, v. 8, JUL 19 2017. (13/14013-7, 13/50367-8)

GIORDANNI C. DANTAS; PAULA M.M. MARTINS; DANIELA A.B. MARTINS; ELENI GOMES; HENRIQUE FERREIRA. A protein expression system for tandem affinity purification in Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, v. 47, n. 2, p. 518-526, 2016-06-00. (13/50367-8, 13/19806-5)

POLAQUINI, CARLOS R.; MORAO, LUANA G.; NAZARE, ANA C.; TORREZAN, GUILHERME S.; DILARRI, GUILHERME; CAVALCA, LUCIA B.; CAMPOS, DEBORA L.; SILVA, ISABEL C.; PEREIRA, JESSE A.; SCHEFFERS, DIRK-JAN; et al. Antibacterial activity of 3,3 `-dihydroxycurcumin (DHC) is associated with membrane perturbation. BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY, v. 90, n. SI, SEP 2019. (18/15083-2, 09/53989-4, 17/50216-0, 15/50162-2, 15/08089-6, 13/50367-8, 14/50880-0)

MORAO, LUANA G.; POLAQUINI, CARLOS R.; KOPACZ, MALGORZATA; TORREZAN, GUILHERME S.; AYUSSO, GABRIELA M.; DILARRI, GUILHERME; CAVALCA, LUCIA B.; ZIELINSKA, ALEKSANDRA; SCHEFFERS, DIRK-JAN; REGASINI, LUIS O.; et al. A simplified curcumin targets the membrane of Bacillus subtilis. MICROBIOLOGYOPEN, v. 8, n. 4, APR 2019. (13/50367-8, 14/50880-0, 14/18330-0)

SUMARES, JULIA A. P.; MORAO, LUANA GALVAO; MARTINS, PAULA M. M.; MARTINS, DANIELA A. B.; GOMES, ELENI; BELASQUE, JR., JOSE; FERREIRA, HENRIQUE. Temperature stress promotes cell division arrest in Xanthomonas citri subsp citri. MICROBIOLOGYOPEN, v. 5, n. 2, p. 244-253, APR 2016. (13/14013-7, 13/50367-8)

KROL, EWA; BORGES, ANABELA DE SOUSA; DA SILVA, ISABEL; POLAQUINI, CARLOS R.; REGASINI, LUIS O.; FERREIRA, HENRIQUE; SCHEFFERS, DIRK-JAN. Antibacterial activity of alkyl gallates is a combination of direct targeting of FtsZ and permeabilization of bacterial membranes. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, v. 6, APR 29 2015. (13/50367-8)

POLAQUINI, CARLOS R.; MARQUES, BEATRIZ C.; AYUSSO, GABRIELA M.; MORAO, LUANA G.; SARDI, JANAINA C. O.; CAMPOS, DEBORA L.; SILVA, ISABEL C.; CAVALCA, LUCIA B.; SCHEFFERS, DIRK-JAN; ROSALEN, PEDRO L.; et al. Antibacterial activity of a new monocarbonyl analog of curcumin MAC 4 is associated with divisome disruption. BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY, v. 109, APR 2021. (18/00163-0, 14/50880-0, 14/18330-0, 17/50216-0, 15/50162-2, 09/53989-4, 18/15083-2, 14/50926-0, 13/50367-8)