Abstract
The plant disease Phytophthora blight, caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici, is responsible for major economic losses in pepper production. Microtubules have been an attractive target for many antifungal agents as they are involved in key cellular events such as cell proliferation, signaling, and migration in eukaryotic cells. In order to design a novel biocompatible inhibitor, we screened and identified inhibitory peptides against alpha- and beta-tubulin of P. capsici using a phage display method. The identified peptides displayed a higher binding affinity (nanomolar range) and improved specificity toward P. capsici alpha- and beta-tubulin in comparison to Homo sapiens tubulin as evaluated by fluorometric analysis. One peptide demonstrated the high inhibitory effect on microtubule formation with a nanomolar range of IC50 values, which were much lower than a well-known chemical inhibitor—benomyl (IC50 = 500 µM). Based on these results, this peptide can be employed to further develop promising candidates for novel antifungal agents against Phytophthora blight.
Highlights
The Phytophthora blight caused by Phytophthora capsici (P. capsici) is a devastating plant disease primarily affecting the agricultural production of peppers and other economically important vegetable crops worldwide [1,2]
Analysis of the purified recombinant proteins was confirmed on sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) under reducing condition, and the α, β-tubulins for P. capsici showed single bands at approximately 55 kDa for α-tubulin and 57 kDa for β-tubulin
Our study reports the development of novel peptides with high affinity for P. capsici α, β-tubulin which is a crucial biomarker in the control of P. capsici infection
Summary
The Phytophthora blight caused by Phytophthora capsici (P. capsici) is a devastating plant disease primarily affecting the agricultural production of peppers and other economically important vegetable crops worldwide [1,2]. P. capsici infection causes root rot, leaf and stem blight, and other conditions [1] Several strategies, such as the rotation of crops and the use of agricultural chemicals, have been widely adopted to control this disease [3,4,5,6]. The fungicides metalaxyl, fosetyl-aluminum, tetrazole, and propamocarb-hydrochloride were found to be quite effective against P. capsici infection [7]. These chemicals, adversely impact human health, especially children’s health, and adversely impact the environment. Extensive use of these fungicides has led to the emergence of resistance in P. capsici [8,9]. A biologically safe alternative is necessary for the control of Phytophthora blight
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