Evidence-Based Evaluation of the Roles and Application of Plant Peptides for the Sustainable Improvement of Crop Resistance to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses

作者：Xeniya Kim · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.5167/uzh-292958 · 研究领域：Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities、Biochemical and Structural Characterization、Heat shock proteins research

Small secreted peptides have been reported as important regulators of plant growth, stress responses and immunity. Among them, Brassicales-specific SERINE-RICH ENDOGENOUS PEPTIDEs (SCOOPs) form one of the largest recently identified peptide families in Arabidopsis thaliana. SCOOPs trigger defense-related immunity outputs upon perception by the receptor-like kinase MIK2. Although the role of SCOOPs in immune activation is increasingly recognized, the mechanisms underlying their proteolytic maturation, as well as their potential for conferring resistance to environmental stresses, remain poorly characterized. This thesis provides an evidence-based evaluation of SCOOP peptides in both abiotic and biotic stress conditions. First, I contributed to investigation of the biogenesis of SCOOP peptides. Like many secreted peptides, SCOOPs are synthesized as larger precursor proteins (PROSCOOPs) requiring proteolytic processing for activation. I contributed to confirmation of subtilase-mediated SCOOP maturation. Second, I evaluated the ability of SCOOPs to enhance abiotic stress resilience. Third, I studied the antimicrobial properties of different SCOOPs. Overall, this project expands current understanding of SCOOP peptide maturation, suggests a previously uncharacterized role of SCOOP signaling in abiotic stress tolerance and identifies members of the SCOOP family with direct antimicrobial properties. These results demonstrate the potential of SCOOPs as candidates for peptide-based bio...