Peptides and Peptidomics: A Tool with Potential in Control of Plant Viral Diseases

Abstract

Plant viruses are the most infectious agents in commercially important crops worldwide. Plant viral diseases are important because both decreased yielding and quality of fruits, flowers or vegetables lead to million-dollar losses in production. At present there are no reports which suggest a direct control of plant virus. A new strategy for plant virus control has been raised since 13 years ago-the use of peptides. Peptides could offer a direct interaction by affinity selection against viral proteins involved in infection cycle, like capsid or movement protein (e.g.) and affect viral replication. Peptidomics, as a new tool to study peptides, led us screening and selecting the best peptide with antiviral activity, and redesigning it to enhance the biological effect as well as the potential of bioactivity of those peptides secreted by microbes present in soil. In this paper we review current aspects in the use of peptides and peptidomics as a strategy to study new methods that lead a direct control against plant viral diseases.

Design, Synthesis, and Mechanism of Antiviral Acylurea Derivatives Containing a Trifluoromethylpyridine Moiety

“…These impose a significant burden on the agricultural systems by causing direct economic losses as high as >$30 billion annually. 5 Pesticides for controlling plant diseases are still essential to increase agricultural production in the 21st century. Many antiviral compounds have been produced in recent decades, including secogestrane, 6 atofine analogues, 7 and quinazolinone derivatives.…”

“…Furthermore, the growing resistance and cross-resistance of pests, pathogens, and weeds to chemical control agents have made this challenge harder. − Approximately 950 plant virus diseases have been reported globally, and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is one of the most widespread. These impose a significant burden on the agricultural systems by causing direct economic losses as high as >$30 billion annually …”

Aptamers for Viral Detection and Inhibition

“…. The pathogen's information has a crucial role in the proper diagnosis and therapy of any disease, and it is essential for protecting the crops from infection and saving the farmers from commercial loss 234 Approaches to prevent or inhibit viral infection in plants are based on gene silencing, metabolic regulation, hormones, proteolysis, and immunological receptor signaling. 235,236 The few modern methods that can control viral infection in plants are rotation of crop and pathogen-free plant production through tissue culture and through integrated vector management.…”

“…The most common viruses include tobacco mosaic virus (TMV causes infection in Tobaco and Solanaceae plant), tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV causes infection Nicotiana, groundnut), African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV infects genus Begomovirus such as Datura, Cassava, and Nicotiana), tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV infects Solanaceae plant family such as tomato), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV causes infection in Cucumberaceae family of plant such as carrot, pepper, bean, spinach), potato virus Y (PVY infects weed plants, pepper, Solanaum eseculentum, Solanaum tuberosum, Nicotiana), plum pox virus (PPV infects peaches, almonds, plums, apricots, nectarines), Potexvirus like potato virus X (PVX infects potato), cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV infects species of Resedaceae and Brassicaceae), and brome mosaic virus (BMV infects species of poaceae family like barley). The pathogen’s information has a crucial role in the proper diagnosis and therapy of any disease, and it is essential for protecting the crops from infection and saving the farmers from commercial loss…”

Peptide aptamers: The versatile role of specific protein function inhibitors in plant biotechnology

“…Actual losses due to plant viruses are difficult to assess, since they fluctuate year to year, and they depend on several variables, including weather conditions and crop management. Some estimates indicate total economic damage caused by plant viruses as high as several billion U.S dollars per year (Mendoza‐Figueroa et al ). Among the most detrimental viruses, Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) cause crop losses of more than one billion dollars per year, because they infect over 1,000 host species including tobacco, peanuts, tomato, and many other vegetables.…”