Effective Antibiotics against ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ in HLB-Affected Citrus Plants Identified via the Graft-Based Evaluation

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111032
• Publication Date: 2014-11-05T19:12:38Z
• Authors: Muqing Zhang; Ying Guo; Charles A. Powell; Melissa S. Doud; Chuanyu Yang; Yongping Duan
• Keywords: Diaphorina citri; Carbenicillin

Citrus huanglongbing (HLB), caused by three species of fastidious, phloem-limited 'Candidatus Liberibacter', is one the most destructive diseases citrus worldwide. To date, there no established cure for this century-old and yet, newly emerging disease. As a potential control strategy HLB, 31 antibiotics were screened effectiveness phytotoxicity using optimized graft-based screening system with Liberibacter asiaticus' (Las)-infected scions. Actidione Oxytetracycline phytotoxic to less than 10% scions surviving growing; therefore, data was not used in additional analyses. Results principal component (PCA) hierarchical clustering analyses (HCA) demonstrated that 29 clustered into 3 groups: highly effective, partly effective. In spite different modes actions, number such as, Ampicillin, Carbenicillin, Penicillin, Cefalexin, Rifampicin Sulfadimethoxine all effective eliminating or suppressing Candidatus asiaticus indicated both lowest Las infection rate titers treated inoculated rootstock. The non-effective group, including 11 alone controls, as Amikacin, Cinoxacin, Gentamicin, Kasugamycin, Lincomycin, Neomycin, Polymixin B Tobramycin, did eliminate suppress tested concentrations, resulting plants increased Las. other 12 eliminated suppressed graft-inoculated plants. non-phytotoxic could be candidates either rescue infected germplasm restricted field application.