Transcriptomic Analysis of the Host Response to Mild and Severe CTV Strains in Naturally Infected Citrus sinensis Orchards

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2022-02, Vol.23 (5), p.2435
• Main Authors: Ramírez-Pool, José Abrahán, Xoconostle-Cázares, Beatriz, Calderón-Pérez, Berenice, Ibarra-Laclette, Enrique, Villafán, Emanuel, Lira-Carmona, Rosalía, Ruiz-Medrano, Roberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Asymptomatic; Citrus fruits; Citrus sinensis; Citrus sinensis - genetics; Citrus sinensis - virology; Citrus tristeza virus; Closteroviridae; Closterovirus - genetics; Closterovirus - pathogenicity; Coat protein; differential gene expression; Disease Resistance; Economic impact; Flowers & plants; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling - methods; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; Gene polymorphism; Genes; Infections; Mexico; mild/severe strain; Orchards; Pathogens; Plant Diseases - genetics; Plant Diseases - virology; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant viruses; Plant Viruses - genetics; Plant Viruses - pathogenicity; Polymorphism; RNA-Seq; Signs and symptoms; Strains (organisms); Transcriptomics; Trees; Viral infections; Viral Proteins - genetics; Virulence; Viruses
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052435

(CTV) is an important threat to the global citrus industry, causing severe economic losses worldwide. The disease management strategies are focused on vector control, tree culling, and the use of resistant varieties and rootstocks. Sweet orange ( ) trees showing either severe or mild CTV symptoms have been observed in orchards in Veracruz, Mexico, and were probably caused by different virus strains. To understand these symptomatic differences, transcriptomic analyses were conducted using asymptomatic trees. CTV was confirmed to be associated with infected plants, and mild and severe strains were successfully identified by a polymorphism in the coat protein (CP) encoding gene. RNA-Seq analysis revealed more than 900 significantly differentially expressed genes in response to mild and severe strains, with some overlapping genes. Importantly, multiple sequence reads corresponding to and were found in severe symptomatic and asymptomatic trees, but not in plants with mild symptoms. The differential gene expression profiling obtained in this work provides an overview of molecular behavior in naturally CTV-infected trees. This work may contribute to our understanding of citrus-virus interaction in more natural settings, which can help develop strategies for integrated crop management.