Heterologous expression of natural products biosynthetic gene clusters from Penicillium italicum: expanding knowledge about secondary metabolites involved during interaction with the citrus host

• Grant number: 25/10502-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: January 12, 2026
• End date: January 11, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Taicia Pacheco Fill
• Grantee: Júlio César Jerônimo Barbosa
• Supervisor: Yit Heng Chooi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Western Australia (UWA), Australia
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/06874-4 - Deciphering the role of secondary metabolites in the chemical interaction between phytopathogens and the citrus host, BP.DR

Abstract

Citrus cultivation plays a fundamental role in Brazilian economy, being one of the country's main agricultural activities. Additionally, citriculture is crucial to the global economy, with China and Brazil as the largest producers of citrus fruits. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Brazil produced an average of 17.61 million tonnes of citrus fruits in 2023, generating approximately $6.5 billion in revenue. However, citrus production has always faced challenges due to the action of phytopathogens, which compromise the health of the plants and fruits, leading to significant economic losses. Among the major post-harvest diseases affecting citrus fruits, the fungi Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum stand out, together accounting for 95% of post-harvest losses. During the interaction of these microorganisms with their citrus host, secondary metabolites are produced to bypass the plant's defense system during the colonization and infection process. In this exchange, our proposal is to investigate the secondary metabolites produced during the interaction between the P. italicum PHI strain and Citrus sinensis fruits, as well as to understand the role of sesquiterpenoids in the infection mechanism of this phytopathogen and its interaction with the host. Additionally, biosynthesis studies will be conducted to understand the chemical and biological mechanisms of terpene skeleton production, derived from the cyclization of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) by Presilphiperfolan-8-beta-ol synthase, and its possible analogs from P. italicum PHI.