Project description:The use of Biological Control Agents (BCAs) to cope diseases has received considerable attention owing to its high efficiency and environmental safety. The aim of our study was to investigate the potential role of the Pseudomonas mediterranea pre-treatments in the response of lemon [Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.] against mal secco, this being a devastating citrus disease caused by the fungus Plenodomus tracheiphilus. RNAseq analysis revealed that the fungus induced a marked reprogramming of the transcriptome, but P. Mediterranea pre-treatments strongly reduced lemon leaf transcriptome modifications and limited the amount of the fungus DNA inside the plant tissue. Furthermore, P. mediterranea prevented the down regulation of the genes involved in the effector triggered immunity (ETI) and the deregulation of genes involved in the main phytohormone’s biosynthesis and perception. As far as we know, this work represents the first report on the analysis of P. tracheiphilus-lemon plant-BCA interaction at molecular level.
