title: ARACINs, Brassicaceae-specific peptides exhibiting antifungal activities against necrotrophic pathogens in Arabidopsis.
abstract: Plants have developed a variety of mechanisms to cope with abiotic and biotic stresses. In a previous subcellular localization study of hydrogen peroxide-responsive proteins, two peptides with an unknown function (designated ARACIN1 and ARACIN2) have been identified. These peptides are structurally very similar but are transcriptionally differentially regulated during abiotic stresses during Botrytis cinerea infection or after benzothiadiazole and methyl jasmonate treatments. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), these paralogous genes are positioned in tandem within a cluster of pathogen defense-related genes. Both ARACINs are small, cationic, and hydrophobic peptides, known characteristics for antimicrobial peptides. Their genes are expressed in peripheral cell layers prone to pathogen entry and are lineage specific to the Brassicaceae family. In vitro bioassays demonstrated that both ARACIN peptides have a direct antifungal effect against the agronomically and economically important necrotrophic fungi B. cinerea, Alternaria brassicicola, Fusarium graminearum, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). In addition, transgenic Arabidopsis plants that ectopically express ARACIN1 are protected better against infections with both B. cinerea and A. brassicicola. Therefore, we can conclude that both ARACINs act as antimicrobial peptides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.D.C., B.v.d.C., B.P.A.C., F.V.B.); Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.v.d.C., F.V.B.); andCentre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium (J.N., J.M., B.D.C, B.P.A.C.).
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neukermans
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.D.C., B.v.d.C., B.P.A.C., F.V.B.); Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.v.d.C., F.V.B.); andCentre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium (J.N., J.M., B.D.C, B.P.A.C.).
authors.forename: Annelies
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inzé
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.D.C., B.v.d.C., B.P.A.C., F.V.B.); Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.v.d.C., F.V.B.); andCentre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium (J.N., J.M., B.D.C, B.P.A.C.).
authors.forename: Janick
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mathys
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.D.C., B.v.d.C., B.P.A.C., F.V.B.); Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.v.d.C., F.V.B.); andCentre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium (J.N., J.M., B.D.C, B.P.A.C.).
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Coninck
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.D.C., B.v.d.C., B.P.A.C., F.V.B.); Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.v.d.C., F.V.B.); andCentre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium (J.N., J.M., B.D.C, B.P.A.C.).
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van de Cotte
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.D.C., B.v.d.C., B.P.A.C., F.V.B.); Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.v.d.C., F.V.B.); andCentre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium (J.N., J.M., B.D.C, B.P.A.C.) frank.vanbreusegem@psb.vib-ugent.be bruno.cammue@biw.vib-kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Bruno P A
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Cammue
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.D.C., B.v.d.C., B.P.A.C., F.V.B.); Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.N., A.I., B.v.d.C., F.V.B.); andCentre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium (J.N., J.M., B.D.C, B.P.A.C.) frank.vanbreusegem@psb.vib-ugent.be bruno.cammue@biw.vib-kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van Breusegem
mesh_terms: D000528:Alternaria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D020171:Botrytis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D019607:Brassicaceae / Q000378:metabolism*; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D017343:Genes, Plant; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000187:drug effects; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010641:Phenotype; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D010455:Peptides; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators