NoPv1: a synthetic antimicrobial peptide aptamer targeting the causal agents of grapevine downy mildew and potato late blight

Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 16;10(1):17574. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-73027-x.

Abstract

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is a crop of major economic importance. However, grapevine yield is guaranteed by the massive use of pesticides to counteract pathogen infections. Under temperate-humid climate conditions, downy mildew is a primary threat for viticulture. Downy mildew is caused by the biotrophic oomycete Plasmopara viticola Berl. & de Toni, which can attack grapevine green tissues. In lack of treatments and with favourable weather conditions, downy mildew can devastate up to 75% of grape cultivation in one season and weaken newly born shoots, causing serious economic losses. Nevertheless, the repeated and massive use of some fungicides can lead to environmental pollution, negative impact on non-targeted organisms, development of resistance, residual toxicity and can foster human health concerns. In this manuscript, we provide an innovative approach to obtain specific pathogen protection for plants. By using the yeast two-hybrid approach and the P. viticola cellulose synthase 2 (PvCesA2), as target enzyme, we screened a combinatorial 8 amino acid peptide library with the aim to identify interacting peptides, potentially able to inhibit PvCesa2. Here, we demonstrate that the NoPv1 peptide aptamer prevents P. viticola germ tube formation and grapevine leaf infection without affecting the growth of non-target organisms and without being toxic for human cells. Furthermore, NoPv1 is also able to counteract Phytophthora infestans growth, the causal agent of late blight in potato and tomato, possibly as a consequence of the high amino acid sequence similarity between P. viticola and P. infestans cellulose synthase enzymes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Aptamers, Peptide / pharmacology*
  • Cellulose / biosynthesis
  • Glucosyltransferases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Glucosyltransferases / chemistry
  • Oomycetes / drug effects*
  • Oomycetes / enzymology
  • Oomycetes / ultrastructure
  • Peptide Library
  • Photosynthesis
  • Phytophthora infestans / drug effects
  • Phytophthora infestans / enzymology
  • Phytophthora infestans / ultrastructure
  • Plant Diseases / parasitology
  • Plant Diseases / therapy*
  • Plant Leaves / drug effects
  • Plant Leaves / enzymology
  • Plant Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Plant Proteins / chemistry
  • Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Solanum tuberosum
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques
  • Vitis

Substances

  • Aptamers, Peptide
  • Peptide Library
  • Plant Proteins
  • Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins
  • Cellulose
  • Glucosyltransferases
  • cellulose synthase