Volatile methyl jasmonate from roots triggers host-beneficial soil microbiome biofilms.

The rhizosphere is a niche surrounding plant roots, where soluble and volatile molecules mediate signaling between plants and the associated microbiota. The preferred lifestyle of soil microorganisms is in the form of biofilms. However, less is known about whether root volatile organic compounds (rVOCs) can influence soil biofilms beyond the 2-10 mm rhizosphere zone influenced by root exudates. We report that rVOCs shift the microbiome composition and growth dynamics of complex soil biofilms. This signaling is evolutionarily conserved from ferns to higher plants. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is a bioactive signal of rVOCs that rapidly triggers both biofilm and microbiome changes. In contrast to the planktonic community, the resulting biofilm community provides ecological benefits to the host from a distance via growth enhancement. Thus, a volatile host defense signal, MeJA, is co-opted for assembling host-beneficial biofilms in the soil microbiota and extending the sphere of host influence in the rhizosphere.

Morintides: cargo-free chitin-binding peptides from Moringa oleifera.

BACKGROUND: Hevein-like peptides are a family of cysteine-rich and chitin-binding peptides consisting of 29-45 amino acids. Their chitin-binding property is essential for plant defense against fungi. Based on the number of cysteine residues in their sequences, they are divided into three sub-families: 6C-, 8C- and 10C-hevein-like peptides. All three subfamilies contain a three-domain precursor comprising a signal peptide, a mature hevein-like peptide and a C-terminal domain comprising a hinge region with protein cargo in 8C- and 10C-hevein-like peptides. RESULTS: Here we report the isolation and characterization of two novel 8C-hevein-like peptides, designated morintides (mO1 and mO2), from the drumstick tree Moringa oleifera, a drought-resistant tree belonging to the Moringaceae family. Proteomic analysis revealed that morintides comprise 44 amino acid residues and are rich in cysteine, glycine and hydrophilic amino acid residues such as asparagine and glutamine. Morintides are resistant to thermal and enzymatic degradation, able to bind to chitin and inhibit the growth of phyto-pathogenic fungi. Transcriptomic analysis showed that they contain a three-domain precursor comprising an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) signal sequence, a mature peptide domain and a C-terminal domain. A striking feature distinguishing morintides from other 8C-hevein-like peptides is a short and protein-cargo-free C-terminal domain. Previously, a similar protein-cargo-free C-terminal domain has been observed only in ginkgotides, the 8C-hevein-like peptides from a gymnosperm Ginkgo biloba. Thus, morintides, with a cargo-free C-terminal domain, are a stand-alone class of 8C-hevein-like peptides from angiosperms. CONCLUSIONS: Our results expand the existing library of hevein-like peptides and shed light on molecular diversity within the hevein-like peptide family. Our work also sheds light on the anti-fungal activity and stability of 8C-hevein-like peptides.

Studies on the Chitin Binding Property of Novel Cysteine-Rich Peptides from Alternanthera sessilis.

Hevein-like peptides make up a family of cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) and play a role in plants in their defense against insects and fungal pathogens. In this study, we report the isolation and characterization of six hevein-like peptides, aSG1-G3 and aSR1-R3, collectively named altides from green and red varieties of Alternanthera sessilis, a perennial herb belonging to the Amaranthaceae family. Proteomic analysis of altides revealed they contain six cysteines (6C), seven glycines, four prolines, and a conserved chitin-binding domain (SXYGY/SXFGY). Thus far, only four 6C-hevein-like peptides have been isolated and characterized; hence, our study expands the existing library of these peptides. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study of altides showed its three disulfide bonds were arranged in a cystine knot motif. As a consequence of this disulfide arrangement, they are stable against thermal and enzymatic degradation. Gene cloning studies revealed altides contain a three-domain precursor with an endoplasmic reticulum signal peptide followed by a mature CRP domain and a short C-terminal tail. This indicates that the biosynthesis of altides is through the secretory pathway. (1)H NMR titration experiments showed that the 29-30-amino acid altides bind to chitin oligomers with dissociation constants in the micromolar range. Aromatic residues in the chitin-binding domain of altides were involved in the binding interaction. To the best of our knowledge, aSR1 is the smallest hevein-like peptide with a dissociation constant toward chitotriose comparable to those of hevein and other hevein-like peptides. Together, our study expands the existing library of 6C-hevein-like peptides and provides insights into their structure, biosynthesis, and interaction with chitin oligosaccharides.

Vaccatides: Antifungal Glutamine-Rich Hevein-Like Peptides from Vaccaria hispanica.

Hevein and hevein-like peptides are disulfide-constrained chitin-binding cysteine-rich peptides. They are divided into three subfamilies, 6C-, 8C-, and 10C-hevein-like peptides, based on the number of cysteine residues. In addition, hevein-like peptides can exist in two forms, short and long. The long C-terminal form found in hevein and 10C-hevein-like peptides contain a C-terminal protein cargo. In contrast, the short form without a protein cargo is found in all three subfamilies. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of two novel glutamine-rich and protein cargo-free 8C-hevein-like peptides, vaccatides vH1 and vH2, from Vaccaria hispanica of the Caryophyllaceae family. Proteomic analyses showed that the vaccatides are 40-41 amino acids in length and contain a chitin-binding domain. NMR determination revealed that vaccatide vH2 displays a highly compact structure with a N-terminal cystine knot and an addition C-terminal disulfide bond. Stability studies showed that this compact structure renders vaccatide vH2 resistant to thermal, chemical and proteolytic degradation. The chitin-binding vH2 was shown to inhibit the mycelium growth of four phyto-pathogenic fungal strains with IC50 values in the micromolar range. Our findings show that vaccatides represent a new family of 8C-hevein-like peptides, which are protein cargo-free and glutamine-rich, characteristics that differentiate them from the prototypic hevein and the 10C-hevein-like peptides. In summary, this study enriches the existing library of hevein-like peptides and provides insight into their molecular diversity in sequence, structure and biosynthesis. Additionally, their highly disulfide-constrained structure could be used as a scaffold for developing metabolically and orally active peptidyl therapeutics.