Rational Design Yields Molecular Insights on Leaf-Binding of Anchor Peptides

Abstract

In times of a constantly growing world population and increasing demand for food, sustainable agriculture is crucial. The rainfastness of plant protection agents is of pivotal importance to reduce the amount of applied nutrients, herbicides, and fungicides. As a result of protective agent wash-off, plant protection is lost, and soils and groundwater are severely polluted. To date, rainfastness of plant protection products has been achieved by adding polymeric adjuvants to the agrochemicals. However, polymeric adjuvants will be regarded as microplastics in the future, and environmentally friendly alternatives are needed. Anchor peptides (APs) are promising biobased and biodegradable adhesion promoters. Although the adhesion of anchor peptides to artificial surfaces, such as polymers, has already been investigated in theory and experimentally, exploiting the adhesion to biological surfaces remains challenging. The complex nature and composition of biological surfaces such as plant leaves and fruit surfaces complicate the generation of accurate models. Here, we present the first detailed three-layered atomistic model of the surface of apple leaves and use it to compute free energy profiles of the adhesion and desorption of APs to and from that surface. Our model is validated by a novel fluorescence-based microtiter plate (MTP) assay that mimics these complex processes and allows for quantifying them. For the AP Macaque Histatin, we demonstrate that aromatic and positively charged amino acids are essential for binding to the waxy apple leaf surface. The established protocols should generally be applicable for tailoring the binding properties of APs to biological interfaces.

Loading and Co-Solvent-Triggered Release of Okanin into/from Functional Microgels for Potential Plant Protection

“…Next to the increased loading capacity of pVCL microgels that incorporate GMA, epoxy groups can be used for an easy surface modification of the microgel. If the epoxy groups are located within the shell of the microgel, they can be used to attach anchor peptides 40 to achieve an increased rain fastness of the carrier on the plant leaves. Finally, using green solvents as effective triggers to (partially) release okanin provides a targeted way to release okanin ondemand.…”

“…[38][39] Furthermore, microgels can be modified to increase their adhesion to leaves and improve their rain-fastness. Anchor peptides, i.e., small peptides that bind to the wax layer of the plant leaves, 40 were successfully used to increase the rain-fastness of pesticide formulations. Microgels functionalized with anchor peptides were successfully used for the foliar fertilization of cucumber plants with Fe 3+ -ions.…”

Loading and Co-Solvent-Triggered Release of Okanin, a C4 Plant Key Enzyme Inhibitor, into/from Functional Microgels

“…Next to the increased loading capacity of pVCL microgels that incorporate GMA, epoxy groups can be used for an easy surface modification of the microgel. If the epoxy groups are located within the shell of the microgel, they can be used to attach anchor peptides 37 to achieve an increased rain fastness of the carrier on the plant leaves. Finally, green solvents effectively triggered the (partial) release okanin, which provides a targeted way to release okanin on-demand.…”

“…[35][36] Furthermore, microgels can be modified to increase their adhesion to leaves and improve their rain-fastness. Anchor peptides, i.e., small peptides that bind to the wax layer of the plant leaves, 37 were successfully used to increase the rain-fastness of pesticide formulations. Microgels functionalized with anchor peptides were successfully used for the foliar fertilization of cucumber plants with Fe 3+ -ions.…”

Bionic Structure Inspired by Tree Frogs to Enhance Damping Performance

“…Nature provides a wealth of inspiration for scientists studying the remarkable properties of biological surfaces. − The principles behind these biological surfaces have led to novel concepts and ideas for surface texture design. , For instance, the polygonal-shaped textures found on snakeskin reduce friction between the skin and the surroundings during rubbing locomotion . Inspired by this, polygon surface textures are often fabricated on thrust rings to enhance frictional properties .…”