A small peptide boosts almonds' defenses against damaging bacteria

Over the past decade, lush olive groves reminiscent of the Italian countryside, have dried up as if trapped in an eternal winter
.
The culprit is Xylella fastidiosa, an aggressive bacterium that has caused devastating epidemics
in several important crops.
X Fastidiosa now threatens almonds, olives and grapes, the main ingredients
of the European economy and cuisine.

There is currently no effective treatment for diseased apricot trees infected by these bacteria, prompting researchers to develop and test new treatments
.
At the University of Girona in Spain, collaborators Luís Moll and Aina Baró-plus from the Montesinos Laboratory demonstrated that small peptides (molecules containing up to 50 amino acid chains) are a promising treatment that can prevent cases caused by x fastidiosa, such as almond leaf burnt disease (ALS).

Their study, recently published in Plant Pathology, tested the effect of a specific peptide called BP178 on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in amygdalus plants, which is similar to a plant vaccine
.
The authors found that this peptide has two functions in disease prevention: it can kill bacteria directly, and it can trigger defense tactics
in plants.
Corresponding author Professor Emilio Montesinos commented: "We demonstrate that the treatment significantly reduces the number of pathogens and disease symptoms and induces a strong defensive response
in the amygdala plant.
" Their results are consistent with
similar studies researchers have conducted on other plants such as tomatoes.

This discovery represents an important step in the fight against diseases caused by bacteria Xylella fastidiosa.
According to the authors, the use of these compounds offers the possibility
of sustainable crop protection and disease management due to the biodegradability of peptides and the low likelihood of bacteria developing resistance to them.
Although this research was conducted in plants in greenhouses, it is expected that the peptide can be extended to nurseries and through field use of commercial endotherapy systems and by optimizing the production cost
of the peptide for commercial use.
In addition, future research may specifically target pathogens by altering amino acid sequences, resulting in novel candidate compounds with bifunctional effects that can be produced
biologically through chemical synthesis or utilizing microorganisms or plant biofactories.

Abruptly
.