University of Missouri

Zhiwei Fang

Francis J Schmidt

James T English

Gary Stacey

James E Schoelz

, the fungal pathogen that causes Asian soybean rust, has the potential to cause significant losses in soybean yield in many production regions of the U.S. To assist the development of new modes of soybean resistance to fungal infection, peptides were identified from combinatorial phage-display peptide libraries which inhibit germ tube growth from urediniospores of. Two peptides, Sp2 and Sp39, were identified that inhibit germ tube development when displayed as fusions with the coat protein of M13 phage or as fusions with maize cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (ZmCKX1). These peptides may be used in vitro to help control fungal infection. These peptides may also be expressed as transgenes in a plant to help the resulting transgenic plant defend against the fungi.

Defense peptides against fungal infection and method of their use

A method for the identification of peptides having an affinity for the surface of fungi is provided as is a method for the identification of peptides capable of affecting the development of a fungus. Also provided are compositions comprising peptides identified using the method of the present invention. In addition, isolated polynucleotides, vectors, expression cassettes and transformed cells capable of expressing peptides identified by the method of the present invention are provided. Such polynucleotides, vectors, expression cassettes may be introduced into and confer upon plants the capability to resist fungal infection.

Method for inducing resistance to fungal infection in transgenic plants using plant defense peptides

The instant invention relates to a method of inducing resistance to pathogens including fungi in transgenic plants by introducing into the plants a first sequence encoding a plant defense peptide and a second sequence encoding a peptide delivery scaffold.

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Columbia, MO, United States of America

Zhiwei Fang