U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research: Wapato, WA
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    Facilities
                        USDA Laboratory in Wapato, WA
                                    USDA Prosser Worksite
                                    USDA Moxee Farm
                    About UsSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Pacific West Area Wapato, Washington Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Research





- Swisher Grimm, Kylie
- Plant Genetic Resources, Genomics and Genetic Improvement (301)

Research Project: **Location:
                            Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research** Project Number: 2092-21220-003-019-S
                        
                        Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement Start Date: Jul 1, 2023
                        
                        End Date: Jun 30, 2024 **Objective:**
                        
                        Objective 1: Use a comparative genomics approach to identify pathogenicity-related genes and genomic elements in ‘Ca. P. trifolii’ BLTVA strain.
Objective 2: Use a targeted approach to profile the identified pathogenicity factors in BLTVA isolates identified in insect and plant specimens collected in the U.S. and Mexico. **Approach:**
                        
                        Objective 1. We will utilize several computational strategies to identify pathogenicity factors in the ‘Ca. P. trifolii’ BLTVA phytoplasma strain, including whole genome comparisons, phylogenetic inference, ortholog analysis, gene neighborhood analysis, and conservation analysis. Currently, 65 phytoplasma genomes are available in the NCBI GenBank, including the ‘Ca. P. trifolii’ BLTVA strain (GenBank Accession GCA_028595955.1), which is the only 16SrVI strain available, and numerous ‘Ca. P. asteris’ asters yellow strains that belong to the 16Sr1 phytoplasma group that is also associated with aster yellows disease of potato. We aim to identify the pathogenicity-related genes (toxins/effectors, secretion pathways, and other membrane proteins) or other genomic elements/islands that are present in BLTVA phytoplasma which induces potato purple top symptoms. We will also leverage state-of-the-art techniques such as deep learning-based AlphaFold2 modeling, protein domain analysis, structural comparisons, and profile analysis to gain insights into the potential functions of the genes we identify.

Objective 2. Following the successful identification of pathogenicity factors present in BLTVA phytoplasma, specific primers will be designed for use in targeted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Standard PCR using a high-fidelity, proof-reading polymerase will then be conducted using DNA previously isolated from symptomatic BLTVA phytoplasma-infected plant tissue and insect specimens collected in the U.S. and Mexico during the past decade. Amplified targets will be subjected to sequence analysis. Sequencing results will be further incorporated into comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses (approaches in Objective 1) and used to assess if any spatial and temporal correlation exists between BLTVA samples, host plants or insects and the sequence of identified genes.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov