Bioactive Priming Polypeptides for Plant Immune Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for enhancing plant disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and yield improvement rely heavily on selective breeding, grafting, and transgenic approaches, which have limitations in efficacy and specificity.
Innovation Solution
Application of bioactive priming polypeptides, such as flagellin, harpin, EF-Tu, and phytosulfokine, to plants to trigger innate immune responses and stimulate growth, using recombinant or synthetic forms, and optionally combined with agrochemicals, to enhance disease resistance, growth, and yield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional methods (selective breeding, grafting, transgenic approaches) are used to enhance plant disease resistance and yield, then disease resistance and yield improvement are achieved, but the methods have limitations in efficacy and specificity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by using different types of bioactive polypeptides (flagellin, harpin, EF-Tu, phytosulfokine) with specific amino acid sequences to trigger distinct plant immune responses. Each polypeptide type targets specific pathogen-associated molecular patterns, changing the molecular parameters of disease resistance induction to achieve both reliability and specificity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the disease resistance enhancement into multiple independent pathways by using different bioactive polypeptides that target different immune recognition systems. This segmentation allows selective application of specific polypeptides for different disease pressures, improving both efficacy and specificity
2Reliability
If selective breeding and transgenic approaches are used, then disease resistance is improved, but the approach is time-consuming and has limited adaptability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-synthesizing and applying bioactive polypeptides that immediately trigger plant immune responses. This eliminates the multi-generation breeding time required for traditional methods, as the immune priming effect occurs within days of application rather than requiring seasonal breeding cycles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses bioactive polypeptides as intermediary substances that mediate between external application and plant immune system activation. These intermediaries transfer the disease resistance trait instantly without requiring genetic modification or breeding, bridging the time gap between selection and expression
3Reliability
If agrochemical approaches are used for plant protection, then disease control is achieved, but environmental sustainability and crop safety are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts harmful pathogen molecules (flagellin, harpin, EF-Tu) into beneficial protective agents. These are the same molecules pathogens use for infection, but when applied in controlled amounts as bioactive polypeptides, they prime plant immunity without causing disease, transforming pathogenic factors into protective ones
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables self-service by inducing plants to activate their own innate immune systems through bioactive polypeptide application. The plant's endogenous defense mechanisms are stimulated to protect against pathogens, eliminating the need for external agrochemicals and reducing environmental contamination
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The bioactive polypeptides increase plant growth, yield, and disease resistance, while reducing abiotic stress and altering plant architecture, providing a more sustainable and targeted approach than traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
Plants can perceive bacterial flagellin through a pattern recognition receptor (PRR) at the plant's cell surface known as flagellin sensitive receptor, which is a leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase located in the plasma membrane and available at the plant cell surface. In plants, the best-characterized PRR is FLAGELLIN SENSING 2 (FLS2)
Implementation Method 2
a phytosulfokine (PSK) polypeptide and an amino acid sequence of the PSK polypeptide comprises SEQ ID NO: 598; or (p) a retro inverso phytosulfokine (RI PSK) polypeptide and an amino acid sequence of the RI PSK polypeptide comprises SEQ ID NO: 599
Implementation Method 3
harpins comprise a group of bacterial-derived elicitors that are derived from larger precursor proteins. Harpins are critical for the elicitation of a hypersensitive response (HR) when infiltrated into the intercellular space or apoplast of plant cells
Implementation Method 4
Elongation factor Tu is an abundant protein found in bacteria and acts as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) to initiate signaling cascades that are involved in plant disease resistance and plant innate immunity to microbial pathogenic organisms
Data Source
AI summary
Bioactive priming polypeptides are provided that are useful when applied to plants in agricultural formulations. Methods of using the formulations containing the bioactive priming polypeptides are also provided which are applied exogenously to the surface of a plant or a plant cell membrane or endogenously to the interior of a plant or to a plant cell. The bioactive priming polypeptides when applied to a plant, a plant part, or a plant growth medium or a rhizosphere in an area surrounding the plant or the plant part increase growth, yield, health, longevity, productivity, and/or vigor of a plant or a plant part and/or decrease abiotic stress in the plant or the plant part and/or protect the plant or the plant part from disease, insects and/or nematodes, and/or increase the innate immune response of the plant or the plant part and/or change plant architecture.