Biologically Active and Antimicrobial Peptides from Plants

Overview

Journal Biomed Res Int

Publisher Wiley

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Biotechnology
General Medicine

Date 2015 Mar 28

PMID 25815307

Citations 37

Authors

Carlos E Salas

Jesus A Badillo-Corona

Guadalupe Ramirez-Sotelo

Carmen Oliver-Salvador

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Bioactive peptides are part of an innate response elicited by most living forms. In plants, they are produced ubiquitously in roots, seeds, flowers, stems, and leaves, highlighting their physiological importance. While most of the bioactive peptides produced in plants possess microbicide properties, there is evidence that they are also involved in cellular signaling. Structurally, there is an overall similarity when comparing them with those derived from animal or insect sources. The biological action of bioactive peptides initiates with the binding to the target membrane followed in most cases by membrane permeabilization and rupture. Here we present an overview of what is currently known about bioactive peptides from plants, focusing on their antimicrobial activity and their role in the plant signaling network and offering perspectives on their potential application.

Citing Articles

Revisiting the potential of natural antimicrobial peptides against emerging respiratory viral disease: a review.

Kiran N, Singh S, Yashaswini C, Prajapati B 3 Biotech. 2025; 15(2):40.

PMID: 39816617 PMC: 11729606. DOI: 10.1007/s13205-024-04184-3.

Production, Delivery, and Regulatory Aspects for Application of Plant-Based Anti-microbial Peptides: a Comprehensive Review.

Nagella P, Balasubramanian B, Park S, Singh U, Jayan A, Mukherjee S Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins. 2025; .

PMID: 39753941 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-024-10421-1.

Antimicrobial Peptides: The Game-Changer in the Epic Battle Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

Hetta H, Sirag N, Alsharif S, Alharbi A, Alkindy T, Alkhamali A Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2024; 17(11).

PMID: 39598464 PMC: 11597525. DOI: 10.3390/ph17111555.

Discovery of bioactive peptides as therapeutic agents for skin wound repair.

Fadilah N, Shahabudin N, Mohd Razif R, Sanyal A, Ghosh A, Baharin K J Tissue Eng. 2024; 15:20417314241280359.

PMID: 39398382 PMC: 11468004. DOI: 10.1177/20417314241280359.

A method to determine antifungal activity in seed exudates by nephelometry.

Hubert B, Marchi M, Ly Vu J, Tranchant C, Tarkowski L, Leprince O Plant Methods. 2024; 20(1):16.

PMID: 38287427 PMC: 10826049. DOI: 10.1186/s13007-024-01144-z.

References

Oelkers K, Goffard N, Weiller G, Gresshoff P, Mathesius U, Frickey T . Bioinformatic analysis of the CLE signaling peptide family. BMC Plant Biol. 2008; 8:1. PMC: 2254619. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-8-1. View

Wu X, Sun J, Zhang G, Wang H, Ng T . An antifungal defensin from Phaseolus vulgaris cv. 'Cloud Bean'. Phytomedicine. 2010; 18(2-3):104-9. PMC: 7126286. DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2010.06.010. View

Nawrot R, Barylski J, Nowicki G, Broniarczyk J, Buchwald W, Gozdzicka-Jozefiak A . Plant antimicrobial peptides. Folia Microbiol (Praha). 2013; 59(3):181-96. PMC: 3971460. DOI: 10.1007/s12223-013-0280-4. View

Ye X, Ng T, Rao P . Cicerin and arietin, novel chickpea peptides with different antifungal potencies. Peptides. 2002; 23(5):817-22. DOI: 10.1016/s0196-9781(02)00005-0. View

Pillitteri L, Dong J . Stomatal development in Arabidopsis. Arabidopsis Book. 2013; 11:e0162. PMC: 3711358. DOI: 10.1199/tab.0162. View

Yasin B, Wang W, Pang M, Cheshenko N, Hong T, Waring A . Theta defensins protect cells from infection by herpes simplex virus by inhibiting viral adhesion and entry. J Virol. 2004; 78(10):5147-56. PMC: 400355. DOI: 10.1128/jvi.78.10.5147-5156.2004. View

Strabala T, Odonnell P, Smit A, Ampomah-Dwamena C, Martin E, Netzler N . Gain-of-function phenotypes of many CLAVATA3/ESR genes, including four new family members, correlate with tandem variations in the conserved CLAVATA3/ESR domain. Plant Physiol. 2006; 140(4):1331-44. PMC: 1435808. DOI: 10.1104/pp.105.075515. View

Ganz T, Selsted M, Szklarek D, Harwig S, Daher K, BAINTON D . Defensins. Natural peptide antibiotics of human neutrophils. J Clin Invest. 1985; 76(4):1427-35. PMC: 424093. DOI: 10.1172/JCI112120. View

Clark S, Running M, Meyerowitz E . CLAVATA1, a regulator of meristem and flower development in Arabidopsis. Development. 1993; 119(2):397-418. DOI: 10.1242/dev.119.2.397. View

10.

Zottich U, Da Cunha M, Carvalho A, Dias G, Silva N, Santos I . Purification, biochemical characterization and antifungal activity of a new lipid transfer protein (LTP) from Coffea canephora seeds with α-amylase inhibitor properties. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2010; 1810(4):375-83. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2010.12.002. View

11.

Le Henanff G, Heitz T, Mestre P, Mutterer J, Walter B, Chong J . Characterization of Vitis vinifera NPR1 homologs involved in the regulation of pathogenesis-related gene expression. BMC Plant Biol. 2009; 9:54. PMC: 2686700. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-9-54. View

12.

Singh P, Parsek M, Greenberg E, Welsh M . A component of innate immunity prevents bacterial biofilm development. Nature. 2002; 417(6888):552-5. DOI: 10.1038/417552a. View

13.

Grun S, Lindermayr C, Sell S, Durner J . Nitric oxide and gene regulation in plants. J Exp Bot. 2006; 57(3):507-16. DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erj053. View

14.

Fletcher J, Brand U, Running M, Simon R, Meyerowitz E . Signaling of cell fate decisions by CLAVATA3 in Arabidopsis shoot meristems. Science. 1999; 283(5409):1911-4. DOI: 10.1126/science.283.5409.1911. View

15.

Niarchou A, Alexandridou A, Athanasiadis E, Spyrou G . C-PAmP: large scale analysis and database construction containing high scoring computationally predicted antimicrobial peptides for all the available plant species. PLoS One. 2013; 8(11):e79728. PMC: 3823563. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079728. View

16.

Wong J, Ng T . Lunatusin, a trypsin-stable antimicrobial peptide from lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus L.). Peptides. 2005; 26(11):2086-92. DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2005.03.004. View

17.

Xu T, Song X, Ren S, Liu C . The sequence flanking the N-terminus of the CLV3 peptide is critical for its cleavage and activity in stem cell regulation in Arabidopsis. BMC Plant Biol. 2013; 13:225. PMC: 3878228. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-13-225. View

18.

Games P, Santos I, Mello E, Diz M, Carvalho A, de Souza-Filho G . Isolation, characterization and cloning of a cDNA encoding a new antifungal defensin from Phaseolus vulgaris L. seeds. Peptides. 2008; 29(12):2090-100. DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2008.08.008. View

19.

Ramos M, Souza D, Gomes M, Freitas C, Carvalho C, Junior P . A phytopathogenic cysteine peptidase from latex of wild rubber vine Cryptostegia grandiflora. Protein J. 2014; 33(2):199-209. DOI: 10.1007/s10930-014-9551-4. View

20.

Liu Y, Gong W, Huang C, Herr W, Cheng X . Crystal structure of the conserved core of the herpes simplex virus transcriptional regulatory protein VP16. Genes Dev. 1999; 13(13):1692-703. PMC: 316849. DOI: 10.1101/gad.13.13.1692. View