Innovative Approach for Targeting Plant Pathogens -Development of Potent Anti-bacterials with a Novel Mode of Action
Novel - Multiple new compounds (not commercially available) that inhibit plant and human bacterial pathogens Safer - Does not target natural microbial flora of treated organism; analogs of natural plant compounds Better for environment - Reduces risk of resistance emergence in bacterial pathogens Multiple targets - Potential effects on many plant, animal, and human pathogens Broad applications - Agriculture, food safety, biofilm prevention, household products, and pharmaceuticals
Plant diseases cause billions of dollars worth of direct and indirect losses every year, but the options for bacterial disease control in plants are limited. The worldwide pesticide industry was $52 billion in 2008, and the market is expected to grow annually at a rate of 7% between 2008 and 2013 (SBI reports). Major cash crops that are affected by bacterial infections include: rice, barley, wheat, tomato, pepper, cabbage, onion, soybean, potato, carrot, lettuce, cucumber, and eggplant. Besides crop protection, antimicrobials are also utilized in agricultural applications such as feed additives, veterinary medicine, and aquaculture. Regulations in food safety have also increased, leading food processors to search for new ways to prevent contamination in their factories. (Decision news media SAS). Unfortunately, the non-therapeutic use of antimicrobial compounds is a major factor in the emergence of antimicrobial resistant pathogens worldwide. One human pathogen of great concern is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen that infects immunocompromised patients, particularly those hospitalized with cancer, cystic fibrosis, and severe burns. The case fatality rate in these patients is near 50 percent. Due to its natural resistance to a broad-range of antibiotics, novel approaches to develop antipseudomonal agents are urgently required. The T3SS inhibitory compounds designed by the inventors specifically target an infectious component of the pathogenic bacteria that is non-essential for normal growth and survival. This feature greatly diminishes the chance of the pathogens acquiring resistance to the compounds. T3S components are conserved in numerous pathogens that infect plants, humans, and animals suggesting a broad range of applications for these compounds. Potential applications include control and prevention of plant disease in agriculture, application on vegetable surfaces to reduce the risk of co-contamination by human pathogens, prevention of post-harvest infection in storage crops, household antimicrobial products, veterinary medicine, and pharmaceuticals.
Drs. Yang and Chen have synthesized several novel chemical compounds which inhibit the expression of the Type III Secretion System (T3SS) virulence genes of the plant pathogens D. dadantii 3937, P. syringae pv tomato DC3000, and Erwinia amylovora as well as the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The compounds do not affect the viability of the bacteria. The T3S apparatus is not necessary for survival of the pathogenic bacteria; therefore these inhibitors are unlikely to lead to selective pressure and trigger resistance to the compounds in the pathogens.
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