Hi Joe,
Cecropin peptides have begun to be tested as spray applications,
has there been thought about the use of such toxins in organic
agriculture?
Anti-microbial peptides provide the first line of defense against
microbial predators in organisms in both the vegetal and animal
kingdoms. The peptides are involved in innate immunity. The
peptides are 15 to 40 amino acids in length, most are hydrophobic
and cationic. They provide protection from bacteria, fungi and
viruses, they mainly act at the cell membrane
of cellular pathogens...
Interesting stuff! Probably such peptides (along with the phenolic
armamentarium) mediate normal resistance mechanisms in crop plants, and
are used unkowingly by conventional breeders. When you think about it,
it is amazing how plants and insects can resist microbial pressure. We
tend to learn about the vertebrate immune system in school, but what
about all the organisms that have no antibodies, no macrophages?
It seems like, from the organic agriculture perspective, the issue is
whether an intervention is "artificial." My point has always been that
there is no clear metaphysical criterion by which to draw that line
(except, perhaps, that all agriculture is arguably artifical). I would
guess that organic agriculture practitioners would object to ANY
transgenic intervention, but accept ANY breeding based on conventional
methods, including marker-assisted selection.
As marker maps increase in density and biological understanding
increases, I expect that "conventional" (i.e. nontransgenic) breeding
will become more and more powerful via marker-assisted selection, and
perhaps cheaper. That is probably a big win for everyone.
Dale
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