Response of Citrus to Huanglongbing

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a fatal citrus disease threatening all commercially relevant citrus varieties worldwide. In the United States, HLB is associated with infection of the phloem-restricted alpha-proteobacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). CLas is transmitted from infected to healthy trees by its psyllid-vector Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, commonly known as the Asian Citrus Psyllid. Here, we carried out a longitudinal analysis utilizing transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to investigate the plant response to inoculation of CLas using ACP. The objective of this work was to establish an in-depth characterization of the response of Madam Vinous sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L). Osbeck) to the Asian Citrus Psyllid with or without Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus to reveal insights into plant defense and mechanisms of HLB disease.