A peptide that binds the Asian citrus psyllid gut reduces transmission of the citrus greening pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus.

A peptide that binds the Asian citrus psyllid gut significantly reduces transmission of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, the citrus greening pathogen, in infected psyllids.

• Why it matters: Citrus greening disease causes massive economic losses worldwide, and current control methods face resistance issues, highlighting the need for novel strategies to block pathogen transmission.
• What they did: Researchers screened a phage display library to identify ten psyllid gut binding peptides, confirmed their binding to gut proteins, and tested one peptide, DcNy2, which significantly decreased pathogen acquisition and infection in nymphs without harming psyllid health.
• The result: Peptide DcNy2's ability to interfere with C Las binding and transmission suggests it could be used in transgenic or paratransgenic approaches to manage citrus greening disease effectively.