Abstract
Carrizo transgenic plants overexpressing methionine-gamma-lyase produced dimethyl sulfide. The transgenic plants displayed more resistance to nematode attacks (Tylenculus semipenetrans) and may represent an innovative strategy for nematode control. Tylenchulus semipenetrans is a nematode pest of many citrus varieties that causes extensive damage to commercial crops worldwide. Carrizo citrange vr. (Citrus sinensis L. Usb × Poncirus trifoliate L. Raf) plants overexpressing Brevibacterium linens methionine-gamma-lyase (BlMGL) produced the sulfur volatile compound dimethyl sulfide (DMS). The aim of this work was to determine if transgenic citrus plants expressing BlMGL showed increased tolerance to T. semipenetrans infestation and to determine the effect on the content of key amino acids. While transgenic lines emitted dimethyl sulfide from leaves and roots, no sulfur-containing volatiles were detectable in wild-type Carrizo in the same tissues. Significant changes detected some key amino acids from leaves of transgenic plants such as aspartate, lysine, glycine, leucine and threonine with no changes in the amounts of methionine and α-ketobutyrate. In roots only glycine showed significant changes across all transgenic lines in comparison to wild-type plants. Transgenic plants expressing BlMGL and emitting DMS had less T. semipenetrans aggregation and more biomass than infected WT control plants, indicating that they may represent an innovative management alternative to pesticide/nematicide-based remedies.