ABSTRACT
Phytoplasmas are the causal agents of more than 100 plant diseases in economically important crops. Eleven genomes have been fully sequenced and have allowed us to gain a better understanding of the biology and evolution of phytoplasmas. Effectors are key players in pathogenicity and virulence, and their identification and description are becoming an essential practice in the description of phytoplasma genomes. This is of particular importance because effectors are possible candidates for the development of new strategies for the control of plant diseases. To date, the prediction of effectors in phytoplasmas has been a great challenge; the reliable comparison of effectoromes has been hindered because research teams have used the combination of different programs in their predictions. This is not trivial since significant differences in the results can arise, depending on the predictive pipeline used. Here, we tested different predictive pipelines to create the PhyEffector algorithm; the average value of the F1 score for PhyEffector was 0.9761 when applied to different databases or genomes, demonstrating its robustness as a predictive tool. PhyEffector can recover both classical and non-classical phytoplasma effectors, making it an invaluable tool to accelerate effectoromics in phytoplasmas.
ABSTRACT
Abstract Introducing an Absent Quarantine Pest (AQP) can cause severe economic, social and environmental impacts, generating food insecurity. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is an excellent tool for prioritizing APQs, allowing countries to better prepare against these threats. This study aimed to determine which AQPs should be prioritized in Brazil. For this, 20 AQPs were selected from the Brazilian official list. The selection was based on pests intercepted by Brazil between 2015 and 2018 and by countries of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization, in the international movement of plants. It can be concluded that out of the 20 AQPs studied, 17 are the priority and that the AHP method is effective for this purpose. Other countries from different continents can use this methodology to prioritize PQAs and thus create strategic plans to prevent entry into their territories and economic, social, and environmental impacts.
Resumo A introdução de uma Praga Ausente Quarentena (PQA) pode causar graves impactos econômicos, sociais e ambientais, gerando insegurança alimentar. O método Processo de Hierarquia Anal Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) é uma excelente ferramenta para priorizar APQs, permitindo que os países se preparem melhor contra essas ameaças. Este estudo teve como objetivo determinar quais AQPs devem ser priorizados no Brasil. Para isso, foram selecionados 20 AQPs da lista oficial brasileira. A seleção foi baseada em pragas interceptadas pelo Brasil entre 2015 e 2018 e por países da European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization. Pode-se concluir que dos 20 AQPs estudados, 17 são os prioritários e que o método AHP é eficaz para este fim. Outros países de diferentes continentes podem usar essa metodologia para priorizar os PQAs e, assim, criar planos estratégicos para prevenir a entrada em seus territórios e impactos econômicos, sociais e ambientais.