title: 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.affiliation: LSU AgCenter Biotechnology Laboratory, Louisiana State University, 115 Wilson Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. soard@agctr.lsu.edu
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Oard
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Enright
mesh_terms: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D005670:Fusarium; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D044224:Pseudomonas syringae; D012232:Rhizoctonia
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D019476:Insect Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; C031162:cecropin B protein, Insecta; C016085:purothionin