Game-changing breakthrough for citrus growers!
- Shujian Zhang
- Apr 10
- 1 min read
Updated: 7 minutes ago
I’ve been working on Huanglongbing (HLB) for almost 10 years, and seeing this significant advance published in Science is inspiring.
Huanglongbing (HLB), known as citrus greening, continues to threaten citrus crops worldwide. But a recent Science article by Zhao et al. offers new hope.
The team identified a key immune protein, MYC2, that is degraded by the E3 ubiquitin ligase PUB21. This mechanism varies among citrus species and influences their resistance to HLB. By unraveling the regulatory circuit between PUB21 expression and MYC2 stability, the researchers discovered a potential path to disease control.
Using an AI screening tool, they went a step further. They identified a small microbial peptide (14 amino acids) that stabilizes MYC2 and reduces HLB symptoms when applied to trees in both the greenhouse and the field, a promising, targeted approach to protecting one of the world’s most valuable fruit crops.
This is a brilliant example of how deep molecular insight and AI-driven discovery can converge to solve global agricultural challenges.
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