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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Citrus and Other Subtropical Products Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #288863

Title: HPLC-MS analysis of secondary metabolites in leaves from orange trees infected with Huanglongbing: A 9-month time series study

Author
item Manthey, John
item REYES-DE-CORCUERA, JOSE - University Of Florida
item HIJAZ, FARAJ - University Of Florida
item FOLIMONOVA, SVETLANA - University Of Florida
item JONES, SHELLEY - University Of Florida
item DAVIS, CRAIG - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Proceedings of Florida State Horticultural Society
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/25/2012
Publication Date: 12/1/2012
Citation: Manthey, J.A., Reyes-De-Corcuera, J.R., Hijaz, F., Folimonova, S.Y., Jones, S., Davis, C. 2012. HPLC-MS analysis of secondary metabolites in leaves from orange trees infected with Huanglongbing: A 9-month time series study . Proceedings of Florida State Horticultural Society. 125:84-91.

Interpretive Summary: A search for chemical markers that might appear during early time points after Huanglongbing (HLB) infection in orange leaves was conducted. No chemical markers were observed up to 24 weeks post HLB infection. A large number of chemical changes occurred subsequent to 28 weeks post HLB infection, but these changes corresponded to visual leaf changes, and thus did not provide early indications of HLB infection.

Technical Abstract: Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, presumably caused by Canditatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is threatening one million acres of commercial citrus groves that have an annual production value of approximately $3 billion across the U.S. The objectives of this study were to identify the earliest significant difference in metabolome of leaves from citrus affected with HLB, and to characterize the evolution of differences in metabolite profiles as related to bacteria titer and HLB symptom development in planta. Twenty each of 8-month-old ‘Valencia’ and ‘Hamlin’ sweet orange trees were graft inoculated with budwood from a PCR-positive HLB source tree. Leaves from 5 inoculated trees of each variety and 3 control trees were sampled biweekly and analyzed by HPLC-MS and PCR. Fourteen weeks after inoculation, CLas was detected in newly growing flushes in 55% and 42% of the inoculated ‘Valencia’ and ‘Hamlin’ trees respectively. Inoculated trees remained visibly asymptomatic in the first 20 weeks but HLB symptoms were evident 30 weeks after grafting. No metabolomic differences were detected in leaves from HLB-infected trees 24 weeks after inoculation. However, 28 weeks after inoculation, just prior to the appearance of visible symptoms, metabolomic differences between control leaves and those from HLB-infected trees were clear. The abundance of 27 out of the 38 detected metabolites in leaves from infected ‘Valencia’ trees increased with time, 2 metabolites decreased with time, and 9 did not change significantly. The response of ‘Hamlin’ metabolites to HLB was similar to ‘Valencia’; 24 out of the 38 detected metabolites increased with symptoms development, 5 metabolites decreased as symptoms increased, and the rest of did not change significantly.