A screen of nodule-specific cysteine-rich peptides for control of the HLB bacterium in citrus

We expect to identify a set of plant-derived, antimicrobial peptides with killing activity against CLas in plants and/or its insect vector, providing a deliverable to growers in less than two years. Application of multiple antimicrobial peptides with different modes of action will limit the likelihood of resistance. These plant-derived antimicrobial peptides have been shown to inhibit the growth of a diverse range of bacterial pathogens, and thus, the peptides we screen may also be effective at killing other bacterial species threatening the California citrus industry, such as Spiroplasma citri, the phloem-limited bacterium that causes citrus stubborn disease.