Phloem sap proteome of Citrus xlimon and Citrus xsinensis plants response to Trioza erytreae infestation

Trioza erytreae is a psyllid that feeds on citrus plants and other Rutaceae phloem sap, it is also a vector of the Huanglongbing disease (HLB) a highly aggressive disease caused by the bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter. One of the preferred plant hosts of Trioza erytreae is lemon (Citrus xlimon) plants, where it develops better than in other hosts. The reasoning behind this preference and better development is yet to be understood. To better understand this plant-insect interaction, two citrus hosts where infested with Trioza erytreae and their phloem sap proteomes were compared to their respective control. The hosts used in this study were the preferred host Citrus xlimon (lemon) and a common host Citrus sinensis (orange). The phloem sap was extracted from infested leaves of each host, and from leaves with a similar size and development from the respective controls. Protein extraction was preformed, and proteomic analysis was performed via nanoscale liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS/MS). Four biological replicates were considered for each of the four treatments (infested lemon plants, control lemon plants, infested orange plants, control orange plants).