Edition of pp2B10 gene in sweet orange by the CRISPR/Cas methodology

• Grant number: 20/13763-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2021
• End date: February 28, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Laís Moreira Granato
• Grantee: Laura Yuki Shimamura
• Host Institution: Instituto Agronômico (IAC). Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Huanglongbing (HLB) is the main phytosanitary problem of citrus in several countries, including Brazil. Caused by proteobacteria Candidatus Liberibacter spp., the symptoms of the disease have been related, in part, by the accumulation of callose and phloem 2 (PP2) proteins in the tubes of sieved elements of the phloem of infected plants. This accumulation of PP2 proteins would be possibly a mechanism resulting from the plant's defense response, in an attempt to reduce the bacterium's ability to colonize the phloem. However, when triggering this process, the phloem would be obstructed, the transport of photoassimilates to drain organs would be impaired and they would accumulate in organs source organs, in the form of starch, leading to the symptoms of HLB. The damage caused by this disease has called the attention of research groups to develop resistant cultivars; however, the genetic improvement of citrus is limited because they are perennial plants, in addition to the pollen, polyembryony and parthenocarpy incompatibility. The CRISPR / Cas technique has been applied to several agricultural crops, including citrus, in order to obtain plants that are more tolerant to diseases and to identify a function of genes involved in abiotic and biotic stresses. Thus, our goals are the genomic edition of the pp2B10 gene, using the CRISPR / Cas methodology, in sweet orange plants, in addition to citrus plants that are more resistant to HLB.