Studies of infective processes of Citrus leprosis virus (CiLV-C), with emphasis in the construction of infectious clone and characterization of viral proteins.

Abstract

There is a significant increase in the identification and characterization of plant viruses, the class of phytopathogens that, after the fungi, cause higher yield losses in crops of high economic value around the world, with billions of dollars in losses annually. In particular, citrus leprosis disease is considered one of the major viral diseases of citrus in Brazil. Currently, the state of São Paulo is the largest producer of orange juice and is estimated an annual cost of approximately U$ 80 million to control this disease. Given the importance of the disease, in the past decades many efforts have been made to unravel the pathosystem; however, we still lack a more detailed understanding of the molecular processes involved in the manifestation of leprosis. Considering these aspects, we propose a more detailed study of the molecular factors involved in the infective process. The proposal aims to develop reverse genetic strategies and production of infectious clones for Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C), a +ssRNA virus, and the functional characterization of viral proteins with emphasis on viral movement protein. These strategies are essential to advance on the understanding of viral infective processes and the virus/host/vector interactions, as well as, in the development, in the long term, of efficient strategies to control this pathogen.