Effectoromics: effectors as a new tool to control Phytophthora parasitica, causal agent of citrus root rot and gummosis.

• Grant number: 15/14498-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): January 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Marcos Antonio Machado
• Grantee: Ronaldo José Durigan Dalio
• Host Institution: Instituto Agronômico (IAC). Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 08/57909-2 - Genomic platforms applied to citrus breeding, AP.TEM

Abstract

Brazil is one of the top orange producers in the world. However, the producers struggle with a constant threat coming from pests and diseases, such as gummosis and root rot, both caused by the oomycete Phytophthora parasitica. It is well known that Phytophthora species secrete hundred of effector proteins that enable infection. Manipulating the effectors molecules can lead to pathogen loss of virulence and induce plant defenses. The mechanistic molecular functioning of effectors remains poorly understood, and almost nothing is described for phytophthora-citrus diseases. Thus, it is proposed here a detailed study focusing P. parasitica effectors in interaction with citrus plants. The main objectives of this project are: 1) identification of the general effectors candidates and the ones of the families RxLR and CRN effectors in the genome and transcriptome of P. parasitica, and 2) evaluate de expression of these genes prior and after infection in citrus, as well assymptoms and plant defense responses. The Project is divided in two phases. The first phase will focus on the identification of RxLR and CRN effectors in the genome of P. parasitica after applying a pipeline with bioinformatic tools and will evaluate the expression of the candidate genes after treatment with citrus root-extracts. At the second phase, the expression of general and RxLR and CRN effector genes will be analyzed during infection in citrus in parallel with physiological responses of plants and activation of genes related to defense. This project has the potential to originate valuable information todevelop more efficient strategies to control citrus diseases.

Scientific publications

(9)

(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)

MAXIMO, HEROS J.; DALIO, RONALDO J. D.; DIAS, RENATA O.; LITHOLDO JR, CELSO G.; FELIZATTI, HENRIQUE L.; MACHADO, MARCOS A.. PpCRN7 and PpCRN20 of Phythophthora parasitica regulate plant cell death leading to enhancement of host susceptibility. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY, v. 19, n. 1, DEC 6 2019. (15/14498-6)

MAXIMO, HEROS J.; DALIO, RONALDO J. D.; RODRIGUES, CAROLINA M.; BRETON, MICHELE C.; MACHADO, MARCOS A.. Reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis in Citrus and Poncirus infected by zoospores of Phytophthora parasitica. TROPICAL PLANT PATHOLOGY, v. 42, n. 2, p. 76-85, APR 2017. (15/14498-6, 08/57909-2)

DALIO, RONALDO J. D.; MAGALHAES, DIOGO M.; RODRIGUES, CAROLINA M.; ARENA, GABRIELLA D.; OLIVEIRA, TIAGO S.; SOUZA-NETO, REINALDO R.; PICCHI, SIMONE C.; MARTINS, PAULA M. M.; SANTOS, PAULO J. C.; MAXIMO, HEROS J.; et al. PAMPs, PRRs, effectors and R-genes associated with citrus-pathogen interactions. ANNALS OF BOTANY, v. 119, n. 5, p. 749-774, MAR 2017. (13/01395-9, 14/19375-7, 13/21924-6, 15/14498-6)

DALIO, R. J. D.; FLEISCHMANN, F.; CHAMBERY, A.; EICHMANN, R.; MASSOLA, JR., N. S.; PASCHOLATI, S. F.; OSSWALD, W.. Immunodepletion alpha-plurivorin effector leads to loss of virulence of Phytophthora plurivora towards Fagus sylvatica. FOREST PATHOLOGY, v. 47, n. 5, OCT 2017. (15/14498-6)

DALIO, RONALDO J. D.; HERLIHY, JOHN; OLIVEIRA, TIAGO S.; MCDOWELL, JOHN M.; MACHADO, MARCOS. Effector Biology in Focus: A Primer for Computational Prediction and Functional Characterization. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS, v. 31, n. 1, p. 22-33, JAN 2018. (15/14498-6, 14/50880-0)

DALIO, R. J. D.; MAXIMO, H. J.; OLIVEIRA, T. S.; DIAS, R. O.; BRETON, M. C.; FELIZATTI, H.; MACHADO, M.. Phytophthora parasitica Effector PpRxLR2 Suppresses Nicotiana benthamiana Immunity. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS, v. 31, n. 4, p. 481-493, APR 2018. (15/14498-6)

DURIGAN DALIO, RONALDO JOSE; MAXIMO, HEROS JOSE; OLIVEIRA, TIAGO SILVA; AZEVEDO, THAMARA DE MEDEIROS; FELIZATTI, HENRIQUE LEME; CAMPOS, MAGNOLIA DE ARAUJO; MACHADO, MARCOS ANTONIO. Molecular Basis of Citrus sunki Susceptibility and Poncirus trifoliata Resistance Upon Phytophthora parasitica Attack. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS, v. 31, n. 3, p. 386-398, MAR 2018. (08/57909-2, 15/14498-6, 14/50880-0)

RONALDO JOSÉ DURIGAN DALIO; PAULO JOSÉ CAMARGO DOS SANTOS; HEROS JOSÉ MÁXIMO; PAMELA AYUMI KAWAKAMI; EDUARDO GOULIN; MARCOS ANTÔNIO MACHADO. Agrotransformação de Phytophthora nicotianae: um método simplificado e otimizado. Summa Phytopathologica, v. 42, n. 3, p. 254-256, 2016-09-00. (15/14498-6)

DALIO, RONALDO J. D.; PASCHOAL, DANIELE; ARENA, GABRIELLA D.; MAGALHAES, DIOGO M.; OLIVEIRA, TIAGO S.; MERFA, MARCUS V.; MAXIMO, HEROS J.; MACHADO, MARCOS A.. Hypersensitive response: From NLR pathogen recognition to cell death response. Annals of Applied Biology, v. 178, n. 2, SI, NOV 2020. (15/14498-6, 19/23030-9, 14/50880-0, 13/01412-0, 14/00366-8, 19/23043-3)