​
Invention Summary:
Modulating plants’ immunity and resilience to microbial pathogens, salt stress and droughts is key to improving crop production. An increasing body of research has shown that plant type II metacaspases, specifically AtMC9 and its orthologs in crops, regulate plants’ defenses to fungal and bacterial pathogens in a complex fashion through its pro-cell death function. Recently, Rutgers researchers also discovered that AtMC9 is a key enzyme for the production of the phytocytokine peptide, Pep3, which can increase plants’ salt and drought resilience.
From research over the past decade, a team led by researchers from Rutgers and Brookhaven National Lab has revealed the activation mechanism of AtMC9. Leveraging this new information, they have designed specific gain-of-function mutations of AtMC9 that confer 3x the activity of the wild-type enzyme while maintaining its native pH dependance. Other variants can increase the enzyme activity while also increasing its active pH range. When properly expressed, these hyperactive forms of AtMC9 could provide more effective defense against biotrophic fungal and bacterial pathogens such as Blumeria and Pseudomonas species, respectively. For necrotrophic pathogens, which AtMC9 orthologs has been found to be a susceptibility factor, specific small molecule inhibitor of AtMC9 activation could be used to replace fungicides to control important crop diseases.
Market Applications:
- Agriculture
- Pest and disease management
- Increase plants’ defense against biotrophic bacterial and fungal pathogens
- New leads for design of novel agrichemicals to suppress necrotrophic plant pathogens
- Increase plants’ tolerance for drought and salt
Advantages:
- Novel AtMC9 variants
- Gain-of-function variants over broad pH ranges
- Small molecule AtMC9 inhibitors targeting key allosteric sites of the enzyme can minimize off-target effects
Publications:
Intellectual Property & Development Status: Provisional application filed. Patent pending. Available for licensing and/or research collaboration. For any business development and other collaborative partnerships, contact: marketingbd@research.rutgers.edu
