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Functional characterization of secreted proteins on the SAP11 region of the Aster Yellows phytoplasma strain Witches' Broom genome

Reference	BBS/E/J/000CA357
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Saskia Hogenhout
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	257,080
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/10/2008
End date	30/09/2011
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Phytoplasmas are bacterial plant pathogens that are transmitted from plant to plant by phloem-feeding insects, and have the unique ability to invade and replicate in their plant and insect hosts. In addition, Aster Yellows phytoplasma strain Witches’ broom (AY-WB) increases the attractiveness of several plant species, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, to insect vectors, including those that normally do not survive on these plant species. Our objective is to define the molecular mechanisms that allow phytoplasmas to infect plants and insects, and interfere with plant-insect interactions. The overall aim of this proposal is to characterize 6 effector proteins encoded by the SAP11 region of AY-WB in order to determine their role in the phytoplasma infection processes. The hypothesis is that phytoplasmas release effector proteins encoded by the SAP11 region into the plant phloem. These effector proteins subsequently unload from the phloem into adjacent cells to target plant cells of developing tissues in order to induce phenotypic changes. This hypothesis is based on preliminary data showing that the SAP11 protein of AY-WB accumulates in plant cell nuclei and targets plant cell nuclei of developing tissues beyond the phloem. Furthermore, SAP11 is produced during AY-WB infection of plants and is abundantly produced in insect salivary glands from where SAP11 can be directly deposited into the phloem during insect feeding. SAP11 also changes plant transcription profiles. We plan to pursue the following 4 objectives: -Investigate whether SAP11 interacts with the other effector proteins of the SAP11 region -Determine whether SAP11 region effector proteins target plant cells of sink tissues beyond the phloem -Determine whether SAP11 region effector proteins are produced in leafhopper salivary glands -Resolve how SAP11 region effector proteins affect plant transcription profiles that result in changes of plant development and breakdown of resistance to insects.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
Research Topics	Crop Science, Microbiology, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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