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Live-cell Imaging of Fungal Cells to Investigate Modes of Entry and Subcellular Localization of Antifungal Plant Defensins
Published on: December 24, 2017
Expression of the antimicrobial peptides in plants to control phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi
1LSU AgCenter Biotechnology Laboratory, Louisiana State University, 115 Wilson Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. soard@agctr.lsu.edu
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.
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