CED4 and CED4-like Peptides as Effective Plant Parasitic Nematicides.

ABSTRACT: Plant parasitic nematodes are a significant agricultural threat, causing substantial economic losses. Methyl bromide, a commonly used nematicide, has been banned due to its harmful environmental and human health effects. As an alternative, the expression of the programmed cell death (PCD) gene CED4 from Caenorhabditis elegans in transgenic plants has been proposed to control nematode populations. In this study, the interaction between CED4 and other proteins was analyzed, and peptide sequences representing interaction domains were identified. Efficacy assays demonstrated that specific peptides-particularly Peptides 2 and 3 (N-terminal α/β domain) and Peptide 12 (C-terminal HD-2 domain)-induced significant mortality in C. elegans, while other peptides were ineffective. The stu

SUBMITTER: Calderon-Urrea A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12472500 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature