scholarly journals An Improved Reference Gene for Detection of “Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus” Associated with Citrus Huanglongbing by qPCR and Digital Droplet PCR Assays

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2111
Author(s):  
Manjunath L. Keremane ◽  
Thomas G. McCollum ◽  
Mikeal L. Roose ◽  
Richard F. Lee ◽  
Chandrika Ramadugu

Citrus huanglongbing (HLB) disease associated with the ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas) bacterium has caused significant financial damage to many citrus industries. Large-scale pathogen surveys are routinely conducted in California to detect CLas early in the disease cycle by lab-based qPCR assays. We have developed an improved reference gene for the sensitive detection of CLas from plants in diagnostic duplex qPCR and analytical digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) assays. The mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase gene (COX), widely used as a reference, is not ideal because its high copy number can inhibit amplification of small quantities of target genes. In ddPCRs, oversaturation of droplets complicates data normalization and quantification. The variable copy numbers of COX gene in metabolically active young tissue, greenhouse plants, and citrus relatives suggest the need for a non-variable, nuclear, low copy, universal reference gene for analysis of HLB hosts. The single-copy nuclear gene, malate dehydrogenase (MDH), developed here as a reference gene, is amenable to data normalization, suitable for duplex qPCR and ddPCR assays. The sequence of MDH fragment selected is conserved in most HLB hosts in the taxonomic group Aurantioideae. This study emphasizes the need to develop standard guidelines for reference genes in DNA-based PCR assays.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Wheatley ◽  
Yong-Ping Duan ◽  
Yinong Yang

Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) or greening is one of the most devastating diseases of citrus worldwide. Sensitive detection of its causal agent, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is critical for early diagnosis and successful management of HLB. However, current nucleic acid-based detection methods are often insufficient for the early detection of CLas from asymptomatic tissue, and unsuitable for high-throughput and field-deployable diagnosis of HLB. Here we report the development of the Cas12a-based DETECTR (DNA endonuclease-targeted CRISPR trans reporter) assay for highly specific and sensitive detection of CLas nucleic acids from infected samples. The DETECTR assay, which targets the five-copy nrdB gene specific to CLas, couples isothermal amplification with Cas12a trans-cleavage of fluorescent reporter oligos and enables detection of CLas nucleic acids at the attomolar level. The DETECTR assay was capable of specifically detecting the presence of CLas across different infected citrus, periwinkle and psyllid samples, and shown to be compatible with lateral flow assay technology for potential field-deployable diagnosis. The improvements in detection sensitivity and flexibility of the DETECTR technology position the assay as a potentially suitable tool for early detection of CLas in infected regions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manjunath L. Keremane ◽  
Chandrika Ramadugu ◽  
Ryo Kubota ◽  
Yongping Duan ◽  
David Hall ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 108 (12) ◽  
pp. 1420-1428 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Shimwela ◽  
T. S. Schubert ◽  
M. Albritton ◽  
S. E. Halbert ◽  
D. J. Jones ◽  
...  

Citrus huanglongbing (HLB), associated with ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (Las), disseminated by Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), has devastated citrus in Florida since 2005. Data on HLB occurrence were stored in databases (2005 to 2012). Cumulative HLB-positive citrus blocks were subjected to kernel density analysis and kriging. Relative disease incidence per county was calculated by dividing HLB numbers by relative tree numbers and maximum incidence. Spatiotemporal HLB distributions were correlated with weather. Relative HLB incidence correlated positively with rainfall. The focus expansion rate was 1626 m month−1, similar to that in Brazil. Relative HLB incidence in counties with primarily large groves increased at a lower rate (0.24 year−1) than in counties with smaller groves in hotspot areas (0.67 year−1), confirming reports that large-scale HLB management may slow epidemic progress.


2018 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 1224-1236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Zheng ◽  
Jianchi Chen ◽  
Xiaoling Deng

Citrus huanglongbing (HLB) is a highly destructive disease currently threatening citrus production worldwide. In China, the disease is exclusively associated with ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, a nonculturable proteobacterium. HLB was observed in Guangdong of China over a hundred years ago. Researchers and citrus growers have been battling with the disease through vigorous research and have exercised various control practices. Much of the early work was not well known outside China. This review is intended to fill in gaps of historical information by reviewing selected literature records. Along the way, the HLB system within southern China was evaluated. Emphases were on comparison of symptomatology, evolution of etiology, control practices, and impacts of using next-generation sequencing technology for ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ research and detection.


2020 ◽  
Vol 102 (4) ◽  
pp. 1333-1333
Author(s):  
Edgloris Marys ◽  
Eduardo Rodríguez-Román ◽  
Rafael Mejías ◽  
Alexander Mejías ◽  
Mailyn Mago ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (3) ◽  
pp. 264-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Cristina Canale ◽  
Arthur Fernando Tomaseto ◽  
Marineia de Lara Haddad ◽  
Helvécio Della Coletta-Filho ◽  
João Roberto Spotti Lopes

Although ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (Las) is a major pathogen associated with citrus huanglongbing (HLB), some characteristics of transmission by the psyllid vector Diaphorina citri are not fully understood. We examined the latent period and persistence of transmission of Las by D. citri in a series of experiments at 25°C, in which third-instar psyllid nymphs and 1-week-old adults were confined on infected citrus for an acquisition access period (AAP), and submitted to sequential inoculation access periods (IAPs) on healthy citrus seedlings. The median latent period (LP50, i.e., acquisition time after which 50% of the individuals can inoculate) of 16.8 and 17.8 days for psyllids that acquired Las as nymphs and adults, respectively, was determined by transferring single individuals in 48-h IAPs. Inoculation events were intermittent and randomly distributed over the IAPs, but were more frequent after acquisition by nymphs. A minimum latent period of 7 to 10 days was observed by transferring groups of 10 psyllids in 48-h IAPs, after a 96-h AAP by nymphs. Psyllids transmitted for up to 5 weeks, when submitted to sequential 1-week IAPs after a 14-day AAP as nymphs. The long latent period and persistence of transmission are indirect evidences of circulative propagation of Las in D. citri.


Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 469
Author(s):  
Inaiara de Souza Pacheco ◽  
Diogo Manzano Galdeano ◽  
João Roberto Spotti Lopes ◽  
Marcos Antonio Machado

‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas) is a major causal agent of citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), which is transmitted by Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri, causing severe losses in various regions of the world. Vector efficiency is higher when acquisition occurs by ACP immature stages and over longer feeding periods. In this context, our goal was to evaluate the progression of CLas population and infection rate over four ACP generations that continuously developed on infected citrus plants. We showed that the frequency of CLas-positive adult samples increased from 42% in the parental generation to 100% in the fourth generation developing on CLas-infected citrus. The bacterial population in the vector also increased over generations. This information reinforces the importance of HLB management strategies, such as vector control and eradication of diseased citrus trees, to avoid the development of CLas-infected ACP generations with higher bacterial loads and, likely, a higher probability of spreading the pathogen in citrus orchards.


Plant Disease ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongqin Zheng ◽  
jun guo ◽  
Xiaoling Deng ◽  
Zheng Zheng

“Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus” (CaLas), an uncultured α-proteobacterium, is associated with citrus Huanglongbing (HLB, yellow shoot disease), a destructive disease threatening citrus production worldwide. Here, we reported the draft genome sequence of CaLas strain Myan16 from a HLB-affected lime tree in Myitkyina, Kachin State, Myanmar. The strain Myan16 genome is 1,229,102 bp with an average G+C content of 36.4%, along with a circular prophage: P-Myan16-2 (36,303 bp, Type 2). This is the first genome sequence of CaLas strain from Myanmar, which will enrich the current CaLas genome sequence database and facilitate HLB epidemiology research in Asia and world.


Plant Disease ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 627-629
Author(s):  
Weili Cai ◽  
Schyler Nunziata ◽  
Stefano Costanzo ◽  
Lucita Kumagai ◽  
John Rascoe ◽  
...  

‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ is the unculturable causative agent of citrus huanglongbing disease. Here, we report the first citrus root metagenome sequence containing the draft genome of ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ strain AHCA17, obtained from a pummelo tree in California. The assembled genome was 1.2 Mbp and resulted in 37 contigs (N50 = 158.7 kbp) containing 1,057 predicted open reading frames and 45 RNA-coding genes. This draft genome will provide a valuable resource in further study of ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ genome diversity and pathogen epidemiology.


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