Synthetic ultrashort cationic lipopeptides induce systemic plant defense responses against bacterial and fungal pathogens.
A new family of synthetic, membrane-active, ultrashort lipopeptides composed of only four amino acids linked to fatty acids was tested for the ability to induce systemic resistance and defense responses in plants. We found that two peptides wherein the third residue is a d-enantiomer (italic), C16-KKKK and C16-KLLK, can induce medium alkalinization of tobacco suspension-cultured cells and expression of defense-related genes in cucumber and Arabidopsis seedlings. Moreover, these compounds can prime systemic induction of antimicrobial compounds in cucumber leaves similarly to the plant-beneficial fungus Trichoderma asperellum T203 and provide systemic protection against the phytopathogens Botrytis cinerea B05, Pseudomonas syringae pv. lachrimans, and P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Thus, short cationic lipopeptides are a new category of compounds with potentially high utility in the induction of systemic resistance in plants.
Brotman
Yariv
Y
Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Makovitzki
Arik
A
Shai
Yechiel
Y
Chet
Ilan
I
Viterbo
Ada
A
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020171:Botrytis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018553:Cucumis sativus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D055666:Lipopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044224:Pseudomonas syringae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D055666:Lipopeptides; D010940:Plant Proteins