Expression of the antimicrobial peptides in plants to control phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi.

Abstract

Three antimicrobial peptides exhibiting in vitro antifungal activity were expressed in Arabidopsis to compare their in planta activity. Beta-Purothionin, cecropin B, and phor21 were expressed under an endogenous promoter with moderate-level activity and excreted extracellularly. Expression of beta-purothionin rendered the greatest antibacterial and antifungal resistance while cecropin B enhanced only antibacterial activity and phor21 did not improve antimicrobial resistance. The transgenic beta-purothionin arrested fungal growth on leaf surfaces and infection of stomata. Leaf extracts from plants producing beta-purothionin and cecropin B displayed membrane permeabilizing activity. The in planta antimicrobial activity of the tested peptides was consistent with previously reported in vitro experiments. The expression strategy allowed enhanced antifungal resistance without high-level transgene expression.

• Authors: S V Oard, F M Enright
• Journal: Plant cell reports (Plant Cell Rep) Vol. 25 Issue 6 Pg. 561-72 (Jun 2006) ISSN: 0721-7714 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 16456649 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
• Insect Proteins
• Plant Proteins
• cecropin B protein, Insecta
• purothionin

Topics

• Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides (biosynthesis, genetics)
• Arabidopsis (genetics, metabolism, microbiology)
• Fusarium
• Insect Proteins (biosynthesis, genetics)
• Plant Leaves (genetics, metabolism, microbiology)
• Plant Proteins (biosynthesis, genetics)
• Plants, Genetically Modified
• Promoter Regions, Genetic
• Pseudomonas syringae
• Rhizoctonia