Recombinant Production and Activity Assays of a Citrus Cystatin

• Grant number: 16/18050-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2016
• End date: July 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Flavio Henrique da Silva
• Grantee: Sâmara Vieira Rocha
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In Brazil, the agriculture contributes significantly to the economy. The citrus activity is considered of the most relevant for Brazilian agribusiness - is the largest producer of orange juice. Despite the performance of Brazil in the citrus market, there are considerable losses due to pests attack and pathogens to the crops. The Greening or "HLB" is a bacterial disease transmitted by the psyllid Diaphorina citri and is considered the most worrying, causing low plant growth, high acidity and low juice content in the fruit. Currently, there are no effective control for HLB disease. An alternative is the vector control through the use of peptidase inhibitors. Insects of the order Hemiptera often have cysteine peptidase as digestive enzymes. Thus, a strategy using cystatin to inhibit digestive enzymes of D. citri can interfere directly in their growth and development. The objective of the project is the expression of a Citrus clementine cystatin (CitrusClem-1) in Pichia pastoris, purification and inhibitory activity of cisteine peptidases enzymes.