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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Plant Science Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356366
Research Project: Enhanced Alfalfa Germplasm and Genomic Resources for Yield, Quality, and Environmental Protection

Location: Plant Science Research

Title: Antibacterial activity of plant defensins

Author
item SATHOFF, ANDREW - University Of Minnesota
item Samac, Deborah - Debby

Submitted to: Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/30/2018
Publication Date: 5/9/2019
Citation: Sathoff, A.E., Samac, D.A. 2019. Antibacterial activity of plant defensins. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. 32(5):507-514. https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-08-18-0229-CR.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-08-18-0229-CR

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Plant defensins are antimicrobial host defense peptides expressed in all higher plants. Performing a significant role in plant innate immunity, plant defensins display potent activity against a wide range of pathogens. Defensins may constitute an ancient, innate form of immunity since they are expressed in vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and fungi. Vertebrate and invertebrate defensins have well characterized antibacterial activity, but plant defensins are commonly considered to be exclusively antifungal. In this review, we highlight the often-overlooked antibacterial activity of plant defensins. Also, we illustrate methods to evaluate defensins for antibacterial activity and describe the current advances in uncovering their antibacterial modes of action.