title: Interactions of antifungal plant defensins with fungal membrane components.
abstract: Plant defensins are small, basic, cysteine-rich peptides that are generally active against a broad spectrum of fungal and yeast species at micromolar concentrations. Some of these defensins interact with fungal-specific lipid components in the plasmamembrane. Structural differences of these membrane components between fungal and plant cells probably account for the selective activity of plant defensins against fungal pathogens and their nonphytotoxic properties. This review will focus on different classes of complex lipids in fungal membranes and on the selective interaction of plant defensins with these complex lipids.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium. karin.thevissen@agr.kuleuven.ac.be
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thevissen
authors.forename: Kathelijne K A
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ferket
authors.forename: Isabelle E J A
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: François
authors.forename: Bruno P A
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Cammue
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D023082:Defensins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D023082:Defensins; D010940:Plant Proteins