Protecting plants with antimicrobial peptides and gallates - Pro-Planta

• Grant number: 15/50162-2
• Support type: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Duration: May 01, 2017 - December 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Cooperation agreement: Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany
• Principal researcher: Henrique Ferreira
• Grantee: Henrique Ferreira
• Principal researcher abroad: Ulrich Schwaneberg
• Institution abroad: RWTH Aachen University, Germany
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Luis Octávio Regasini
• Associated grant(s): 19/05497-7 - Molecular epidemiology of AMR pathogens in Brazil and development of novel control strategies, AV.EXT
• Associated scholarship(s): 20/02238-8 - Functional analysis of the rstA (XAC0730) gene from Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri and its relationship with pathogenicity, BP.IC; 18/23297-2 - Hexanoic acid, an alternative to copper to protect citrus plants against Xanthomonas citri, BP.IC; 18/24953-0 - Genetic and phenotypic profiles of Xanthomonas citri isolated from orchards with different incidences of citrus canker, BP.IC; + associated scholarships 18/14584-8 - Protecting plants with antimicrobial peptides and gallates: synthesis of alkyl gallates, BP.PD; 18/10734-5 - Metabolic profiles of Xanthomonas citri sub. citri, and the plant-host response upon infection with the phytopathogen, BP.PD; 17/07306-9 - Protection of citrus with antibacterial peptides and gallates, BP.DR - associated scholarships

Abstract

Reducing the usage of pesticides is of great importance for a sustainable agriculture and bioeconomy. Insect pests and microbial pathogens are major causes of crop and fruit damages worldwide, representing losses of US$500 billion/year. Within the Pro-Planta proposal, two technologic platforms will be developed and evaluated to reduce the use of antimicrobials in citrus protection against citrus canker. Citrus canker is a disease caused by the bacteria Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xac) and X. fuscans subsp. aurantifolli; it may lead to defoliation, dieback and premature fruit drop, generating great losses in fruit production and quality. Brazil is currently the largest producer of oranges in the world, generating over US$2 billion/year in export revenues. From 2009, the legislation for the control of citrus canker in São Paulo state was relaxed, and according to the current rules (resolution SAA - 147 of 2013), growers are obliged to eliminate the infected trees in the orchards and to spray copper formulations within a radius of 30m from a contaminated tree. After these changes, the incidence of citrus canker increased by 80% and now there is a real risk of citrus canker becoming endemic in the state of São Paulo. Finally, the constant use of copper sprays may leave residues in fruits and soil with risks to human health and agricultural production; besides, it contributes to the emergence of copper-resistant bacterial strains. The Pro-Planta project team aims to develop and validate two broadly applicable protection platforms for pest management and reduced use of bactericides/copper. Platform (a) is composed of bifunctional fusion proteins (Ieaf binding and antimicrobial function) which stick to citrus leaf surface and platform (b) is based on microgels containers which are bound to citrus through an anchor peptide and loaded with gallates (antimicrobial agent) for slow and demand-dependent release. A demand matching, rain-independent and long-Iasting compound release of gallates shall reduce pesticide consumption and will contribute to a sustainable and integrated bioeconomy in which discipline boarders are bridged. (AU)

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DILARRI, GUILHERME; ZAMUNER, CAIO F. C.; MENDES, CAROLINA R.; JUNIOR, JOSE R. M.; MORAO, LUANA G.; MONTAGNOLLI, RENATO N.; BIDOIA, EDERIO D.; FERREIRA, HENRIQUE. Evaluating the potential of electrolysed water for the disinfection of citrus fruit in packinghouses. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, OCT 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.

CAVALCA, LUCIA B.; ZAMUNER, CAIO F. C.; SALDANHA, LUIZ L.; POLAQUINI, CARLOS R.; REGASINI, LUIS O.; BEHLAU, FRANKLIN; FERREIRA, HENRIQUE. Hexyl gallate for the control of citrus canker caused byXanthomonas citrisubspcitri. MICROBIOLOGYOPEN, v. 9, n. 9 AUG 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.

POLAQUINI, CARLOS R.; MORAO, LUANA G.; NAZARE, ANA C.; TORREZAN, GUILHERME S.; DILARRI, GUILHERME; CAVALCA, LUCIA B.; CAMPOS, DEBORA L.; SILVA, ISABEL C.; PEREIRA, JESSE A.; SCHEFFERS, DIRK-JAN; DUQUE, CRISTIANE; PAVAN, FERNANDO R.; FERREIRA, HENRIQUE; REGASINI, LUIS O. Antibacterial activity of 3,3 `-dihydroxycurcumin (DHC) is associated with membrane perturbation. BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY, v. 90, n. SI SEP 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.

NAZARE, ANA CAROLINA; POLAQUINI, CARLOS ROBERTO; CAVALCA, LUCIA BONCI; ANSELMO, DAIANE BERTHOLIN; CALMON SAIKI, MARILIA DE FREITAS; MONTEIRO, DIEGO ALVES; ZIELINSKA, ALEKSANDRA; RAHAL, PAULA; GOMES, ELENI; SCHEFFERS, DIRK-JAN; FERREIRA, HENRIQUE; REGASINI, LUIS OCTAVIO. Design of Antibacterial Agents: Alkyl Dihydroxybenzoates against Xanthomonas citri subsp citri. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES, v. 19, n. 10 OCT 2018. Web of Science Citations: 1.