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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, May 2006, p. 3302-3308, Vol. 72, No. 5
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.5.3302-3308.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Inhibition of Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria by Short Synthetic Cecropin A-Melittin Hybrid Peptides

Rafael Ferre,¹ Esther Badosa,² Lidia Feliu,¹ Marta Planas,¹ Emili Montesinos,^2* and Eduard Bardají¹

Laboratori d'Innovació en Processos i Productes de Síntesi Orgànica (LIPPSO), Departament de Química,¹ Laboratori de Patologia Vegetal, Institut de Tecnologia Agroalimentària, CIDSAV-CeRTA, Universitat de Girona, Campus Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Spain²

Received 17 January 2006/ Accepted 26 February 2006

Short peptides of 11 residues were synthesized and tested against the economically important plant pathogenic bacteria Erwinia amylovora, Pseudomonas syringae, and Xanthomonas vesicatoria and compared to the previously described peptide Pep3 (WKLFKKILKVL-NH₂). The antimicrobial activity of Pep3 and 22 analogues was evaluated in terms of the MIC and the 50% effective dose (ED₅₀) for growth. Peptide cytotoxicity against human red blood cells and peptide stability toward protease degradation were also determined. Pep3 and several analogues inhibited growth of the three pathogens and had a bactericidal effect at low micromolar concentrations (ED₅₀ of 1.3 to 7.3 µM). One of the analogues consisting of a replacement of both Trp and Val with Lys and Phe, respectively, resulted in a peptide with improved bactericidal activity and minimized cytotoxicity and susceptibility to protease degradation compared to Pep3. The best analogues can be considered as potential lead compounds for the development of new antimicrobial agents for use in plant protection either as components of pesticides or expressed in transgenic plants.

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratori de Patologia Vegetal, Institut de Tecnologia Agroalimentària, CIDSAV-CeRTA, Universitat de Girona, Campus Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Spain. Phone: 34 972 418427. Fax: 34 972 418399. E-mail: emonte{at}intea.udg.es.

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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, May 2006, p. 3302-3308, Vol. 72, No. 5
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.5.3302-3308.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

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