Understanding the virulence strategies of Penicillium digitatum against the host citrus

• Grant number: 17/24462-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: February 01, 2018 - September 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Taicia Pacheco Fill
• Grantee: Taicia Pacheco Fill
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Phytopathogens have developed a variety of specialized virulence strategies to facilitate colonization of plant tissue, and successful infect and modulate the host plant physiology, including the production of low-molecular-weight phytotoxins (secondary metabolites). Brazil is the world's largest producer of citrus, which are susceptible to a number of diseases that cause significant losses during the postharvest phase. The most common and serious diseases that affect citrus are green and blue molds caused, respectively, by Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum. The actual research concerning such pathogens focuses on treatments against the infection symptoms. However, the molecular basis of infection and specificity towards the host remain largely unknown. In this sense, we aim to elucidate biologically active constituents of host-pathogen interaction and study them concerning functionality based on molecular biology and genetic studies. The idea is to perform knock out of key genes involved in the biosynthesis of active secondary metabolites allowing the production of a particular metabolite deficient mutants that will be studied concerning pathogenicity against citrus, providing insights into the chemical relationship between pathogen/host which could contribute to preliminary understanding of the strategies used by this Penicillium species to infect citrus. Understanding the production of phytotoxins in their biological context represents an important step to develop ways to protect citrus from fungal infections. (AU)

Scientific publications

(11)

(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)

KANASHIRO, ALINE MIDORI; AKIYAMA, DANIEL YURI; KUPPER, KATIA CRISTINA; FILL, TAICIA PACHECO. Penicillium italicum: An Underexplored Postharvest Pathogen. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, v. 11, DEC 4 2020. (17/24462-4, 19/06359-7, 18/13027-8)

COSTA, JONAS HENRIQUE; BAZIOLI, JAQUELINE MORAES; DE MORAES PONTES, JOAO GUILHERME; FILL, TAICIA PACHECO. Penicillium digitatum infection mechanisms in citrus: What do we know so far?. FUNGAL BIOLOGY, v. 123, n. 8, p. 584-593, AUG 2019. (17/24462-4, 18/03670-0)

COSTA, JONAS HENRIQUE; BAZIOLI, JAQUELINE MORAES; ARAUJO, EDER DE VILHENA; VENDRAMINI, PEDRO HENRIQUE; DE FREITAS PORTO, MARIANA CRISTINA C.; EBERLIN, MARCOS NOGUEIRA; SOUZA-NETO, JAYME A.; FILL, TAICIA PACHECO. Monitoring indole alkaloid production by Penicillium digitatum during infection process in citrus by Mass Spectrometry Imaging and molecular networking. FUNGAL BIOLOGY, v. 123, n. 8, p. 594-600, AUG 2019. (13/11343-6, 17/24462-4, 18/03670-0)

MORAES BAZIOLI, JAQUELINE; BELINATO, JOAO RAUL; COSTA, JONAS HENRIQUE; AKIYAMA, DANIEL YURI; DE MORAES PONTES, JOAO GUILHERME; KUPPER, KATIA CRISTINA; AUGUSTO, FABIO; DE CARVALHO, JOAO ERNESTO; FILL, TAICIA PACHECO. Biological Control of Citrus Postharvest Phytopathogens. TOXINS, v. 11, n. 8, AUG 2019. (18/03670-0, 16/20547-2, 17/24462-4, 18/13027-8)

JOÃO RAUL BELINATO; JAQUELINE MORAES BAZIOLI; ALESSANDRA SUSSULINI; FABIO AUGUSTO; TAÍCIA PACHECO FILL. METABOLÔMICA MICROBIANA: INOVAÇÕES E APLICAÇÕES. Química Nova, v. 42, n. 5, p. 546-559, 2019-07-18. (18/03670-0, 16/20547-2, 17/24462-4)

DE MORAES PONTES, JOAO GUILHERME; VENDRAMINI, PEDRO HENRIQUE; FERNANDES, LAURA SOLER; DE SOUZA, FABRICIO HENRIQUE; PILAU, EDUARDO JORGE; EBERLIN, MARCOS NOGUEIRA; MAGNANI, RODRIGO FACCHINI; WULFF, NELSON ARNO; FILL, TAICIA PACHECO. Mass spectrometry imaging as a potential technique for diagnostic of Huanglongbing disease using fast and simple sample preparation. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 10, n. 1, AUG 10 2020. (19/06359-7, 17/24462-4, 18/03670-0)

COSTA, JONAS HENRIQUE; FERNANDES, LAURA SOLER; AKIYAMA, DANIEL YURI; FILL, TAICIA PACHECO. Exploring the interaction between citrus flavonoids and phytopathogenic fungi through enzymatic activities. BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY, v. 102, SEP 2020. (18/13027-8, 17/24462-4, 19/06359-7)

COSTA, JONAS HENRIQUE; WASSANO, CRISTIANE IZUMI; FIGUEIREDO ANGOLINI, CELIO FERNANDO; SCHERLACH, KIRSTIN; HERTWECK, CHRISTIAN; FILL, TAICIA PACHECO. Antifungal potential of secondary metabolites involved in the interaction between citrus pathogens. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 9, DEC 9 2019. (19/06359-7, 17/24462-4)

ARAUJO, EDER DE VILHENA; VENDRAMINI, PEDRO HENRIQUE; COSTA, JONAS HENRIQUE; EBERLIN, MARCOS NOGUEIRA; MONTAGNER, CASSIANA CAROLINA; FILL, TAICIA PACHECO. Determination of tryptoquialanines A and C produced by Penicillium digitatum in oranges: Are we safe?. Food Chemistry, v. 301, DEC 15 2019. (18/03670-0, 15/10384-6, 17/24462-4)

COSTA, JONAS HENRIQUE; BAZIOLI, JAQUELINE MORAES; BARBOSA, LUIDY DARLLAN; THEODORO DOS SANTOS JUNIOR, PEDRO LUIS; REIS, FLAVIA C. G.; KLIMECK, TABATA; CRNKOVIC, CAMILA MANOEL; BERLINCK, ROBERTO G. S.; SUSSULINI, ALESSANDRA; RODRIGUES, MARCIO L.; et al. Phytotoxic Tryptoquialanines Produced In Vivo by Penicillium digitatum Are Exported in Extracellular Vesicles. MBIO, v. 12, n. 1, JAN-FEB 2021. (17/24462-4, 13/50228-8, 19/06359-7, 15/01017-0, 19/11563-2)

DE ANDRADE ALMEIDA, ALLAN CALMONT; DE MORAES PONTES, JOAO GUILHERME; ALVARENGA, GABRIEL RODRIGUES; FINOCCHIO, HENRIQUE; FILL, TAICIA PACHECO. The sustainable cycle of a new cacao-based bioplastic: from manufacturing to exploitable biodegradation products. RSC ADVANCES, v. 11, n. 48, p. 29976-29985, SEP 8 2021. (18/20930-6, 19/06359-7, 17/24462-4, 18/03670-0)