Dr. Nabil Killiny
Contact Information
Citrus Research and Education Center
Lake Alfred, Florida
Entomology, Assistant Professor
Phone: 863.956.8833
Fax (863) 956-4631
Email: nabilkilliny@ufl.edu
Education
Ph.D. in Biological and Medical Sciences; with particular focus on Pathogen-Vector Molecular Interactions, University of Bordeaux 2 and INRA, Bordeaux, France. 2005.
Dissertation title: “Spiroplasma citri and its insect vector Circulifer haematoceps: Proteins-proteins interaction and identification of a protein marker of transmission”
Past Positions
Post Doctoral Researcher Nov 2006-Dec 2010. University of California, Berkeley, CA
Specialization
Vector-Pathogen interactions
Research
Research interests:
My research interests focus on the biology of pathogen-vector interfaces. Interactions between vector and pathogen vary from simple mechanical transmission to intricate interactions where the pathogens must develop and multiply within vectors. Our research focuses on the molecular characterization of different transmission systems including pathogens which colonize their vectors and either circulative or non-circulative in their vectors.
Examples:
1-The circulative multiplicative systems:Spiroplasma citri/Circulifer haematoceps. Spiroplasmas ingested via phloem-sap feeding traverse the leafhopper gut wall, move into the haemolymph and invade the salivary glands, where they are introduced into the phloem of new host plant.
2- The multiplicative foregut-borne system: Xylella fastidiosa/Graphocephala atropunctata. X. fastidiosa cells colonize only the cibarium and precibarium of the sharpshooter vector’s foregut. The vector acquires and inoculates cells in the xylem sap of host plants during feeding.
3- The circulative multiplicative system: Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus/Diaphorina citri. The pathogen is phloem restricted in plant and transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid.
Research goals:
The molecular characterization of the interactions between pathogen and its vector is important to understand the behavior of this pathogen and then target the transmission process using the appropriate strategy. Furthermore, in the context of sustainable agriculture we should use friendly environmental solutions. For that, developing alternative strategies based on the understanding pathogen-vector interactions is necessary.
Refereed Publications
A. Rashed, N. Killiny, J. Kawn, R. P. P. Almeida. Background matching behaviour and acquisition: Plant tissue preference does not predict the bacterial acquisition efficiency of vector.our future (Arthropod-Plant Interactions, in press)
N. Killiny, S. Prado, and R. P. P. Almeida. 2010. Chitin utilization by the insect--transmitted bacterium Xylella fastidiosa. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 76:6134-40.
S. chattergee*, N. Killiny*, R. P. P. Almeida and S. E. Lindow. 2010. Role of Cyclic di-GMP in Xylella fastidiosa Biofilm Formation, Plant Virulence and Insect Transmission. Molecular Plant-Microbe interactions. 23:1356-63.
* Authors contributed equally to this work.
N. Killiny and R. P. P. Almeida. 2009. Host structural polysaccharide induces vector transmission of a bacterial plant pathogen. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.106:22416-20.
N. Killiny and R. P. P. Almeida. 2009. Xylella fastidiosa afimbrial adhesins are associated with cell attachment to leafhopper vectors and transmission to plants. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 75:521-8
C. Saillard, P. Carle, S. Duret-Nurbel, R. Henri, N. Killiny, S. Carrère, J. Gouzy, J. M. Bové, J. Renaudin and X. Foissac. 2008. The abundant extrachromosomal DNA content of the Spiroplasma citri GII3-3X genome. BMC Genomics. 9:195
N. Killiny, B. Batailler, X. Foissac and C. Saillard 2006. Identification of a Spiroplasma citri hydrophilic protein associated with insect transmissibility Microbiology. 152, 1221-1230
N. Killiny, M. Castroviejo and C. Saillard. 2005. Spiroplasma citri spiralin acts in vitro as a lectin binding to glycoproteins from its insect vector Circulifer haematoceps. Phytopatholgy. 95: 541-548.
Non-Refereed Publications
N. Killiny, and R. P. P. Almeida (2007) Biology of Xylella fastidiosa-vector interaction “I”. Pierce’s Disease Research Symposium proceedings. Pages 107-110. http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/pdcp/Research_Symposium_Index.html
N. Killiny and R.P.P. Almeida (2007) In vitro attachment of Xylella fastidiosa to polysaccharides. Phytopathology 97(7):S57. (Abstract)
N. Killiny, and R. P. P. Almeida (2008) Biology of Xylella fastidiosa-vector interaction “II”. Pierce’s Disease Research Symposium proceedings. Pages 83-86. http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/pdcp/Research_Symposium_Index.html
N. Killiny and R.P.P. Almeida (2008). Role of fimbrial and afimbrial adhesins and gum production on Xylella fastidiosa insect transmission. Phytopathology 98(6):S81. (Abstract)
N. Killiny, and R. P. P. Almeida (2009) Biology of Xylella fastidiosa-vector interaction “III”. Pierce’s Disease Research Symposium proceedings. Pages 51-56. http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/pdcp/Research_Symposium_Index.html
N. Killiny and R.P.P. Almeida (2010) Role of structural polysaccgharides in the virulence and transmission of Xylella .fastidiosa. Phytopathology 100(6):S62. (Abstract)
N. Killiny, and R. P. P. Almeida (2010) Blocking Xylella fastidiosa transmission. Pierce’s Disease Research Symposium proceedings. http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/pdcp/Research_Symposium_Index.html
S. E. Lindow, M. Inescu, C. Baccari, N. Killiny, R. P. P. Almeida, and E. Beaulieu (2010) Control of Pierce’s disease using pathogen signal molecules. Pierce’s Disease Research Symposium proceedings. http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/pdcp/Research_Symposium_Index.html
