Analisys of acetyl gallates targeting the chromosome SEGRAGATION and cell division machineries in Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri

• Grant number: 15/04130-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: June 01, 2015
• End date: November 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Henrique Ferreira
• Grantee: Abigail Savietto
• Supervisor: Dirk-Jan Scheffers
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Groningen, Netherlands
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/11402-5 - Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of alkyl gallates used as antibacterial agents against citrus canker, BP.MS

Abstract

Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xac) is the etiological agent of citrus canker, a disease that affects all the varieties of citrus of economic importance around the world. Currently, eradication of infected trees constitutes the only effective practice to control the spread of Xac. This measure has enormous social and economic impact in the orange juice production industry, especially concerning the difficulties to inspect plantations and to persuade growers to eliminate foci of the disease. Related to this, recent relaxations in the policies of eradication within the state of São Paulo, the main orange producer in the world, indicate that citrus canker may become endemic in this area. In an effort to help the fight against citrus canker our group is focused on the development of environmental friendly compounds able to kill Xac, yet with the smallest possible footprint in environment. In the present work, the compounds under investigation are the acetyl gallates (FAPESP 2014/11402-5), which derive from esters of Gallic acid published recently [1]. Acetyl gallates showed anti-Xac activity, and in preliminary microscopy analyses, they were found to disrupt the divisional bacterial septum. To further extend our investigation about the intracellular targets of the acetyl gallates, we propose a BEPE in the laboratory of our Dutch collaborator in the project FAPESP/NWO 2013/50367-8 so to assess the effects of the compounds on Xac-FtsZ. (AU)