AUTHOR=Mora Victoria , Ramasamy Manikandan , Damaj Mona B. , Irigoyen Sonia , Ancona Veronica , Avila Carlos A. , Vales Maria Isabel , Ibanez Freddy , Mandadi Kranthi K. 

TITLE=Identification and Characterization of Potato Zebra Chip Resistance Among Wild Solanum Species

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.857493

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.857493

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Potato zebra chip (ZC) disease, associated with the uncultured phloem-limited bacterium, <italic>Candidatus</italic> Liberibacter solanacearum (<italic>C</italic>Lso), is transmitted by the potato psyllid <italic>Bactericera cockerelli</italic>. Potato ZC disease poses a significant threat to potato production worldwide. Current management practices mainly rely on the control of the psyllid to limit the spread of <italic>C</italic>Lso. The present study investigated new sources of ZC resistance among wild <italic>Solanum</italic> species. A taxonomically diverse collection of tuber-bearing <italic>Solanum</italic> species was screened; one ZC-resistant accession and three ZC-tolerant accessions were identified among the 52 screened accessions. Further characterization of the resistant accession showed that the resistance was primarily associated with antibiosis effects due to differences in leaf trichome density and morphology of the wild accession, which could limit the psyllid feeding and oviposition. This germplasm offers a good resource for further understanding ZC and psyllid resistance mechanisms, contributing to potato breeding efforts to develop ZC resistance cultivars. Alternatively, it could be used as a potential trap crop to manage psyllid and control ZC disease.</p>