Biochemical and functional analysis of a citrus sinensis protein, CsEIE, involved in the defense against Xanthomonas citri

• Grant number: 13/22399-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: March 01, 2014
• End date: February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Celso Eduardo Benedetti
• Grantee: Caio Cesar de Lima Silva
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/20468-1 - Molecular mechanisms involved in pathogen adaptation and virulence, host resistance and symptom development in citrus-bacteria interactions, AP.TEM

Abstract

The citrus industry is an important Brazilian agribusiness sector, contributing economically with exports and employment generation. However, in recent years, the citrus industry has been going through many difficulties; among them the occurrence of diseases that seriously affect the production of citrus fruit, as it is the case of Citrus Canker (CC), a disease caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas citri (Xc). In order to understand defense responses in citrus against Xc, our laboratory has been studying defense signaling pathways in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) infected with Xanthomonas aurantifolii pathotype C (XaC), a bacterium that causes CC in Mexican lime, but a hypersensitivity response (HR) in sweet oranges. Previously, we have analyzed the gene expression profile of sweet orange leaves infected with XaC, relative to Xc, and found a protein named CsEIE (Ethylene -Induced Esterase) as being induced preferentially in the incompatible interaction. CsEIE is similar to NtSABP2 (salicylic acid-binding protein 2) from tobacco, which is involved in the local and systemic defense responses. NtSABP2 has the ability to convert methyl salicylate (MeSA) in salicylic acid (SA), one of the most important hormones in involved in the resistance response against biotrophic plant pathogens. Thus, in this work, we aim to study the CsEIE function in the defense against Xc and XaC. Therefore, we intend to correlate the levels of MeSA and SA in sweet orange and Mexican lime plants, and in Troyer citrange with altered CsEIE expression, with resistance against Xc and XaC. In addition, we intend to evaluate whether CsEIE presents methyl-esterase activity, in vitro and in vivo, upon MeSA. With this study, we expect to elucidate the function of CsEIE in SA production and defense against Xc and XaC. (AU)

Scientific publications

(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)

DE LIMA SILVA, CAIO CESAR; SHIMO, HUGO MASSAYOSHI; DE FELICIO, RAFAEL; MERCALDI, GUSTAVO FERNANDO; ROCCO, SILVANA APARECIDA; BENEDETTI, CELSO EDUARDO. Structure-function relationship of a citrus salicylate methylesterase and role of salicylic acid in citrus canker resistance. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 9, MAR 7 2019. (11/20468-1, 13/22507-0, 16/03151-8, 13/22399-2)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SILVA, Caio Cesar de Lima. Biochemical, structural and functional analysis of CsMES1, a C. sinensis salicylate methylesterase involved in the defense response against citrus canker. 2019. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia Campinas, SP.