Complementary peptides represent a credible alternative to agrochemicals by activating translation of targeted proteins

Abstract

The current agriculture main challenge is to maintain food production while facing multiple threats such as increasing world population, temperature increase, lack of agrochemicals due to health issues and uprising of weeds resistant to herbicides. Developing novel, alternative, and safe methods is hence of paramount importance. Here, we show that complementary peptides (cPEPs) from any gene can be designed to target specifically plant coding genes. External application of synthetic peptides increases the abundance of the targeted protein, leading to related phenotypes. Moreover, we provide evidence that cPEPs can be powerful tools in agronomy to improve plant traits, such as growth, resistance to pathogen or heat stress, without the needs of genetic approaches. Finally, by combining their activity they can also be used to reduce weed growth.

Symbiont effector‐guided mapping of proteins in plant networks to improve crop climate stress resilience

“…[112] In addition to expand our F I G U R E 3 Application of small proteins introduces a system for symbiont effector analysis-informed crop stress adaption and overall fitness improvement. Complementary protein (cPEP) application increases, for example, target transcription and improves crop fitness, [113] which can be informed based on symbiont effector targets with beneficial stress tolerance or growth function. The application of effectors represents a potential strategy to improve plant fitness and effectiveness of fertilizers to address environmental challenges and protect crops.…”

“…In this respect, a recent technical study suggested simple spraying or watering of plants with complementary peptides (cPEP) from any gene to increase target protein abundance resulting for example in improved growth and heat stress tolerance without genetic modification. [113] The cPEP method is based on findings, that short peptides produced in planta interact with their nascent RNA sequences. [113,114] Ormanecy et al (2023) showed that peptides with 5-40 amino acids in size increased target activity with strong specificity.…”

“…For this function, RPL19 (AT4G17560) was necessary, which is assumed to increase stability of inter‐ribosomal subunit bridges. [ 113 ] The cPEP approach could become highly valuable in protecting crops more flexibly and immediate against rapidly changing climates and new emerging diseases and pests. Apart from the identification of possible cPEP targets for crop improvement it may also be possible to apply effectors directly to induce beneficial signalling pathway modulation and favourable plant phenotypes (Figure 3).…”

“…Functional cPEP might be applied by drainage or spraying leaves or seedlings. [ 113 ] Therefore, small functional domains of effector proteins could be designed, that are possibly taken up and confer beneficial effects in plants similar to their native function during S. indica interaction. We showed previously that expression of single effectors in Arabidopsis was sufficient to improve seedling growth.…”

“…[113] The cPEP method is based on findings, that short peptides produced in planta interact with their nascent RNA sequences. [113,114] Ormanecy et al (2023) showed that peptides with 5-40 amino acids in size increased target activity with strong specificity. cPEPs, when externally applied, were able to modulate mRNA translation by increasing ribosomal recruitment at translation initiation sites.…”