Plants Defense-related Cyclic Peptides: Diversity, Structure and Applications

Area of Science:

• Plant biology
• Biochemistry
• Peptide science

Background:

• Plants face environmental stressors (abiotic and biotic) that threaten survival.
• Plants have evolved defense mechanisms, including specialized proteins.
• Cyclotides are a class of plant-derived peptides with diverse biological activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the occurrence, abundance, and function of cyclotides in plants.
• To explore the evolutionary aspects of cyclotides.
• To discuss the potential applications of cyclotides in biomedical and agricultural fields.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of cyclotide research.
• Analysis of cyclotide structure and properties.
• Examination of cyclotide biological activities (antimicrobial, insecticidal).

Main Results:

• Cyclotides are small, stable proteins (approx. 30 amino acids) with a cyclic backbone and cystine knot topology.
• They possess significant antimicrobial and insecticidal properties, contributing to plant defense.
• Three main categories of cyclotides are identified: Cyclotides, SFTI, and MCoTI-I/II.

Conclusions:

• Cyclotides' stability and multifunctionality position them as valuable candidates for novel antimicrobial agent discovery.
• Their roles in plant defense and potential applications warrant further investigation in both biomedical and agricultural sciences.