Abstract Detail



Functional Genetics/Genomics

Dominguez Fernandez, Yoatzin Guadalupe [1], Ruiz Medrano, Roberto [1], Calderon Perez , Berenice  [1], Vargas Hernandez , Brenda  [1], Leandro Alberto, Nuñez Muñoz  [1], Xoconostle Cazares, Beatriz [1].

Genetic edition of Citrus aurantium for the generation of resistance to Huanglongbing disease (HLB).

MéxicoMexico is the 4th producer of citrus worldwide as of 2019. Citrus crops are susceptible to abiotic and biotic stress, causing a decrease in quality and crop yield [1]. Among the main diseases affecting this economically important crop is Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening, which stands out for its devastating effects on citrus production globally. This is caused by a Gram(-) α-proteobacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, which is transmitted by the psyllid vector Diaphorina citri; this pathogen is limited to the vascular tissue, particularly the sieve elements, thus blocking the translocation of photoassimilates in infected plants [2]. One way to mitigate the problem is through gene editing [3]. In the present work, gene editing of sour orange (which is a commercially important citrus rootstock) has been proposed through CRISPR/Cas9 in order to express a protein that resides in the phloem translocation pathway fused to an antibacterial peptide. For this purpose, plants have been transformed with a construct that consists of an endogenous defensin fused to the CsPP16 protein, which is a resident protein of sieve elements that is expected to be inserted into the locus corresponding to the endogenous CsPP16 gene by means of the CRISPR/Cas9 system. This fusion will allow the mobility of the antimicrobial through the long-distance phloem translocation stream of the plant, which is the tissue where Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus accumulates within its host.


1 - CINVESTAV, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, CDMX, 07360, México

Keywords:
CRISPR/Cas9
sour orange 
Huanglongbing (HLB)
Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus
defensin
CsPP16.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Number: FGG1005
Abstract ID:711
Candidate for Awards:None


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