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Overexpression of the salicylic acid binding protein 2 (SABP2) from tobacco enhances tolerance against Huanglongbing in transgenic citrus

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Abstract

Key message

Overexpression of the salicylic acid binding protein 2 (SABP2) gene from Tobacco results in enhanced tolerance to Huanglongbing (HLB; citrus greening disease) in transgenic sweet oranges.

Abstract

Huanglongbing (HLB), the most destructive citrus disease, is caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CaLas). Currently, no cure for this disease exists, and all commercially planted cultivars are highly susceptible. Salicylic Acid Binding Protein 2 (SABP2) is a well-characterized protein essential for establishing systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in tobacco. The constitutive over expression of SABP2 from tobacco (NtSABP2) in ‘Hamlin’ sweet orange resulted in the production of several transgenic lines with variable transcript levels. Transient expression of the NtSABP2-EGFP fusion protein in Nicotiana benthamiana plants demonstrated that NtSABP2 was cytosolic in its subcellular localization. In a long-term field study, we identified a SABP2 transgenic line with significantly reduced HLB symptoms that maintained a consistently low CaLas titer. Transcriptome analysis of this selected transgenic line demonstrated upregulation of several genes related to plant defense and SAR pathways. Genes, such as NPR family genes and those coding for monooxygenases and lipoxygenases, were upregulated in the 35S-NtSABP2 overexpressing line and might be candidates for incorporation into our citrus improvement program.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. The raw data are available under accession number PRJNA755699 in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database.

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Funding

This work was partially supported by funds received from the Citrus Research and Development Foundation, Inc. (CRDF) and the Florida State legislative funding for the UF/IFAS Citrus Initiative.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, FL, 33850, USA

    Juliana M. Soares, Kyle C. Weber, Lamiaa M. Mahmoud, Jude W. Grosser & Manjul Dutt

  2. Institute of Fruit and Tea, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430064, China

    Wenming Qiu

  3. Pomology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt

    Lamiaa M. Mahmoud

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  1. Juliana M. Soares
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  2. Kyle C. Weber
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  3. Wenming Qiu
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  6. Manjul Dutt
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Contributions

JMS and KCW—gene expression analysis. KCW—transcriptome data analysis. WQ—calculation of qPCR validation. LMM—statistical analysis. JMS—confocal microscope and western blots. MD—developed the NtSABP2 construct, generated and screened the transgenic plants. JMS and MD—wrote the manuscript. MD and JWG—designed the study, obtained funding, and supervised the project. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Manjul Dutt.

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Communicated by Prakash P. Kumar.

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Soares, J.M., Weber, K.C., Qiu, W. et al. Overexpression of the salicylic acid binding protein 2 (SABP2) from tobacco enhances tolerance against Huanglongbing in transgenic citrus. Plant Cell Rep 41, 2305–2320 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-022-02922-6

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