Martina Chiara, Criscuolo (2025) PROSYSTEMIN: TOWARDS A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF ITS MOLECULAR ROLE IN PLANT DEFENSE AND CROP PROTECTION. [Tesi di dottorato]

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Abstract

Plants constantly face multiple stresses, both biotic and abiotic, that severely impact on crop yield and food security. To counteract these continuous and chronic challenges, plants evolved a sophisticated and complex immune system based on the recognition of molecular elicitor. Exploiting these mechanisms to protect plants offers promising opportunities to enhance defense and resilience, while reducing the use of chemicals and minimizing their impact on the environment and human health. Systemin (Sys), the first peptide elicitor discovered in plants, is released from its precursor Prosystemin (ProSys) upon tissue damage. Sys binds to the receptors SYR1 and SYR2, activating jasmonate signaling and the production of defense compounds. Recent research has shown that ProSys is more than a simple scaffold: the truncated form ProSys(1–178) and several biologically active fragments within it, known as Repeat Motifs (RMs), also contribute to plant immunity through pathways likely distinct from Sys-mediated signaling. This work further investigates the defensive roles of ProSys(1–178) and its RMs (Chapter 1), assesses the activity of selected ProSys-derived peptides in other plant species (Chapter 2), and examines their effects on plant growth and salt stress tolerance in both laboratory and field conditions (Chapter 3). Finally, Chapter 4 places these findings in the broader context of bioactive peptides in agriculture. Overall, our findings provide further insights into the role of ProSys in tomato immunity and represent a novel, green and promising strategy for crop protection.

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