Production of Soluble Bioactive NmDef02 Plant Defensin in Escherichia coli

Ceballo, Yanaysi; González, Carlos B.; Ramos, Osmany; Tiel, Kenia; Limonta, Laura; Piloto, Soraya; López, Alina; Hernández, Andrea

doi:10.1007/s10989-021-10338-1

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The rise of antimicrobial resistance has created a demand for antimicrobials and pesticides in the clinic and in agriculture, and the cross-species application of AMPs could hold potential solutions for this crisis. An example of where cross-kingdom application is already happening is the plant defensin NmDef02, which has been recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli and was shown to exhibit antimicrobial activity against human pathogens in vitro , as well as against plant pathogens ( Ceballo et al, 2022 ). Similarly, the analogous resistance and resilience mechanisms, currently being uncovered in both plants and animals, can offer insights for research direction in diverse phyla.…”

Section: Intersecting Lessonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parallel repair mechanisms in plants and animals

Byatt

Martin

2023

Disease Models &Amp; Mechanisms

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All organisms have acquired mechanisms for repairing themselves after accidents or lucky escape from predators, but how analogous are these mechanisms across phyla? Plants and animals are distant relatives in the tree of life, but both need to be able to efficiently repair themselves, or they will perish. Both have an outer epidermal barrier layer and a circulatory system that they must protect from infection. However, plant cells are immotile with rigid cell walls, so they cannot raise an animal-like immune response or move away from the insult, as animals can. Here, we discuss the parallel strategies and signalling pathways used by plants and animals to heal their tissues, as well as key differences. A more comprehensive understanding of these parallels and differences could highlight potential avenues to enhance healing of patients’ wounds in the clinic and, in a reciprocal way, for developing novel alternatives to agricultural pesticides.

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Section: Intersecting Lessonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parallel repair mechanisms in plants and animals

Byatt

Martin

2023

Disease Models &Amp; Mechanisms

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Characterization and functional analysis of gerbera plant defensin (PDF) genes reveal the role of GhPDF2.4 in defense against the root rot pathogen Phytophthora cryptogea

Cheng,

Wu,

Zhang

2024

aBIOTECH

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Gerbera (Gerbera hybrida), a major fresh cut flower crop, is very susceptible to root rot disease. Although plant defensins (PDFs), a major group of plant antimicrobial peptides, display broad-spectrum antifungal and antibacterial activities, PDF genes in gerbera have not been systematically characterized. Here, we identified and cloned nine PDF genes from gerbera and divided them into two classes based on phylogenetic analysis. Most Class I GhPDF genes were highly expressed in petioles, whereas all Class II GhPDF genes were highly expressed in roots. Phytophthora cryptogea inoculation strongly upregulated all Class II GhPDF genes in roots and upregulated all Class I GhPDF genes in petioles. Transient overexpression of GhPDF1.5 and GhPDF2.4 inhibited P. cryptogea infection in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) leaves. Transient overexpression of GhPDF2.4, but not GhPDF1.5, significantly upregulated ACO and LOX gene expression in tobacco leaves, indicating that overexpressing GhPDF2.4 activated the jasmonic acid/ethylene defense pathway and that the two types of GhPDFs have different modes of action. Prokaryotically expressed recombinant GhPDF2.4 inhibited mycelial growth and delayed the hyphal swelling of P. cryptogea, in vitro, indicating that GhPDF2.4 is a morphogenetic defensin. Moreover, the addition of GhPDF2.4 to plant culture medium alleviated the root rot symptoms of in vitro-grown gerbera seedlings and greatly reduced pathogen titer in P. cryptogea-inoculated gerbera roots in the early stages of treatment. Our study provides a basis for the use of GhPDFs, especially GhPDF2.4, for controlling root rot disease in gerbera.

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