Project Number: 1245-22000-281-14
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Apr 01, 2012
End Date: Mar 31, 2015

Objective:
With previous funding from the Florida Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), ARS' Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory (MPPL) has developed a library of scFv antibody fragments that bind specific targets on the HLB pathogen that are believed to be essential for successful colonization of citrus. ARS' U.S. Horticultural Research Lab (USHRL) at Ft. Pierce has developed efficient methods for large scale transformation, regeneration and screening of citrus for resistance to HLB. The objective of this proposal is to transform citrus with genes encoding selected scFv and evaluate the transgenic citrus for resistance to HLB. This proposal relates to NP303, Plant Diseases, goal to 'develop plant disease resistance'. The ARS Cooperator has expertise in plant transformation.

Approach:
ARS/MPPL, Beltsville, will convert scFv genes from phagemid to plasmid inserts, make appropriate modifications, and clone the modified scFv genes into vectors for plant transformation. ARS MPPL, Beltsville, will also lead the molecular characterization of transformed citrus. ARS USHRL Ft. Pierce will use these constructs to transform citrus, identify transformed citrus, produce and propagate transformed trees, and screen them for resistance to ‘Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus’.