Basic insight on plant defensins
نویسندگان
چکیده
Defensins are small cysteine-rich peptides with antimicrobial activity. Plant defensins have a characteristic threedimensional folding pattern that is stabilized by eight disulfide-linked cysteines. This pattern is very similar to defense peptides of mammals and insects, suggesting an ancient and conserved origin. Functionally, these proteins exhibit a diverse array of biological activities, although they all serve a common function as defenders of their hosts. Plant defensins are active against a broad range of phytopathogenic fungi and even against human pathogens, which indicates their potential in therapeutics. This review briefly describes the distribution, structure, function and putative modes of antimicrobial activity of plant defensins and reflects their potential in agriculture and medical applications. Key works: defensin, cysteine-rich peptides, mode of action Biotecnología Aplicada 2006;23:75-78
منابع مشابه
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