ATPSyn-β in Diaphorina citri facilitates the transmission of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus by interacting with its outer membrane protein A.

Background: Although it is known that Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the agent of citrus Huanglongbing, circulates and multiplies within the insect vector Diaphorina citri, the specific factors enabling CLas transmission remain unclear. Previous studies have shown that ATPSyn-β facilitates phytoplasma movement in vector insects, and functions as a transport protein in D. citri. In this study, the role of ATPSyn-β was expected to be unveiled in CLas transmission in D. citri.

Results: The interaction between ATPSyn-β of D. citri and the outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of CLas was identified using glutathione S-transferase pull-down and yeast two-hybrid assays. No interactions existed between OmpA and vitellogenin (Vg). Bioinformatics analysis revealed that ATPSyn-β contained two conserved domains, ATP-synt_ab_N and ATP-synt_ab. Notably, ATP-synt_ab_N interacted with both OmpA and Vg, indicating a competitive relationship between Vg and OmpA for binding to ATPSyn-β. After silencing ATPSyn-β expression using RNAi, the feeding behavior of D. citri decreased, resulting in a lower acquisition of CLas. Subsequently, this inhibited CLas movement within D. citri and reduced the inoculation of CLas to healthy citrus plants.

Conclusion: ATPSyn-β was involved in the acquisition, movement in vivo, and inoculation of CLas by interacting with OmpA, thus offering a novel target to prevent the spread of citrus Huanglongbing. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.