ARS | Publication request: PLANT-DERIVED ANTIFUNGAL COMPOUNDS AND CURRENTLY EMPLOYED MICROBIAL-BASED AGRICULTURAL FUNGICIDES

Submitted to: Planta
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: April 30, 2005
Publication Date: August 15, 2005
Citation: De Lucca II, A.J., Cleveland, T.E., Wedge, D.E. 2005. Plant-derived antifungal proteins and peptides. Canadian Journal of Microbiology. 51:1001-1014.

Interpretive Summary: Approximately 500,000 plant species exist in the world today. Plants must produce potent antifungal compounds to protect themselves from fungi which exist in the soil. Of all the different plant types that exist, only a few have been examined for the presence of antifungal compounds. However, those that have been purified and studied are either protein or nonprotein compounds and prevent fungal growth by different modes of action. Some lyse the cells while others block protein synthesis by the susceptible fungi. Though some of these compounds are very potent, none of them have been successfully developed into commercial products. This review presents examples of these compounds and discusses their properties. This review would be of interest to scientists and companies interested in biological control of fungi that are problems in the production of crops and subsequent storage of the harvested commodities.

Technical Abstract: Plants produce potent constitutive and induced antifungal compounds to compliment the structural barriers to microbial infection. Approximately 500,000 plant species exist, but only a relative few of these have been investigated for antimicrobial activity. Nevertheless, a wide spectrum of compound classes have been purified and found to have antifungal properties. Of these, only a few have been developed commercially as antifungal compounds. This review article present examples of these compounds and discusses their properties.