Differential Expression of miRNAs Involved in Response to Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus Infection in Mexican Lime at Early and Late Stages of Huanglongbing Disease

• Published in: Plants (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 5; p. 1039
• Main Authors: Bojórquez-Orozco, Ana Marlenne, Arce-Leal, Ángela Paulina, Montes, Ricardo A Chávez, Santos-Cervantes, María Elena, Cruz-Mendívil, Abraham, Méndez-Lozano, Jesús, Castillo, Araceli G, Rodríguez-Negrete, Edgar A, Leyva-López, Norma Elena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 24-02-2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Asymptomatic; Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus; Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas); Citrus aurantifolia; Citrus fruits; Deregulation; Disease control; Gene expression; Genes; Huanglongbing (HLB); Infections; Metabolism; Mexican lime; microRNA; MicroRNAs; miRNA; Molecular modelling; Pathogenesis; Pathogens; Phosphorus; Plant bacterial diseases; ShortStack; target genes; Transcription factors; microRNA; Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas); Huanglongbing (HLB); ShortStack; target genes; Mexican lime
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants12051039

Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most destructive diseases threatening citriculture worldwide. This disease has been associated with α-proteobacteria species, namely
Liberibacter. Due to the unculturable nature of the causal agent, it has been difficult to mitigate the disease, and nowadays a cure is not available. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression, playing an essential role in abiotic and biotic stress in plants including antibacterial responses. However, knowledge derived from non-model systems including
Liberibacter asiaticus (
Las)-citrus pathosystem remains largely unknown. In this study, small RNA profiles from Mexican lime (
) plants infected with
Las at asymptomatic and symptomatic stages were generated by sRNA-Seq, and miRNAs were obtained with ShortStack software. A total of 46 miRNAs, including 29 known miRNAs and 17 novel miRNAs, were identified in Mexican lime. Among them, six miRNAs were deregulated in the asymptomatic stage, highlighting the up regulation of two new miRNAs. Meanwhile, eight miRNAs were differentially expressed in the symptomatic stage of the disease. The target genes of miRNAs were related to protein modification, transcription factors, and enzyme-coding genes. Our results provide new insights into miRNA-mediated regulation in
in response to
Las infection. This information will be useful to understand molecular mechanisms behind the defense and pathogenesis of HLB.