RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: In order to discover novel antimicrobial peptides against important crop pathogens, we designed and screened a high capacity random peptide library and isolated a number of clones expressing peptides with antifungal activity. We selected 96 peptides from the library and synthesized their sequence, which were used to assay their activity against crop fungal pathogens. METHODS: Using agar diffusion assay, these peptides were assayed for their activity against pathogens that cause cotton Fusarium wilt (Fusarium f. sp, vasinfecum), cotton red rot (Fusarium moniliforme), wheat spot blotch (Bipolaris sorokiniana) and potato early blight (Alternaria solani). RESULTS: The three random peptides, A6, D4 and F10, showed the strongest activity against the above four crop fungal pathogens. Through Blastp analysis, we did not find they have homologous sequences with known antimicrobial peptides. CONCLUSION: The novel antimicrobial peptides will provide gene resources for preventing important crop pathogens.