Applications of antimicrobial peptides in plant pest and disease control

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are compounds that have an inhibiting effect on the growth of different microorganisms. Over the past few decades, AMPs have emerged as a promising alternative over the traditional antibiotics due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, low toxicity, and ability to evade bacterial resistance mechanisms. Furthermore, with ongoing research and development efforts, AMPs are poised to meet the growing demand for effective antibacterial agents in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Antimicrobial peptides are being considered as novel alternatives to plant disease management and pest control. As a plant defense agent, AMPs destroy target cells after they enter a target microbial membrane through a variety of ways. The three main categories of epidermal AMPs in both humans and plants are cathelicidins, defensins, and thionins. Plant AMPs have a wide range of structural and functional variations and can be used to fight against herbivorous insects. In general, AMP and membrane lipid interactions in plants control their biological activity. Transgenic plants have been expressing a range of antimicrobial peptides to protect themselves against diseases. Despite these facts, there are several instances of antimicrobial peptides being successfully used in agriculture, suggesting a broader prospect for their extensive applications. In this review, we consider an emerging topic of antimicrobial peptide applications, primarily on the management of various plant diseases, as biopesticides, and use in biotechnological aspects such as genetic engineering.