Bacteriocins in plant pathology: current knowledge, application, challenges and perspectives
Abstract
To address the growing emergence of multi-resistant phytopathogenic bacteria, innovative solutions are being explored in the field of plant health. Among them, bacteriocins, antimicrobial peptides or proteins secreted by bacteria, characterized by a highly specific spectrum of activity and involved in intra-specific competition, are gaining increasing interest. Bacteriocins can confer a positive selective advantage in both natural and agricultural environments, thereby contributing to microbiome modulation. Bacteriocin-producing rhizobacteria and lactic acid bacteria are already used as biocontrol agents against phytopathogenic bacteria, as well as plant growth stimulators. Bacteriocins can be produced in situ by using avirulent strains, or ex situ through industrial synthesis and applied as biopesticides. Nowadays, genetic engineering enables production of chimeric bacteriocins and their direct production in transgenic plants, avoiding the need for repeated treatments and limiting emergence of resistances. The selection of promising bacteriocins can be guided by omics-based approaches, notably metagenomics, which involve the direct extraction and sequencing of DNA from environmental samples and provides access to the genetic diversity in complex soil or plant-associated microbiomes. Combined with open-access databases and recently developed integrated tools, this approach not only facilitates the identification of known structures of bacteriocins, but also enables the prediction of potentially active peptides even those never experimentally characterized. Bacteriocin-based strategies, at the crossroads of molecular biology, microbial ecology and agronomy, hold significant potential for promoting sustainable agriculture through highly specific pathogen targeting. However, their large-scale implementation still faces several challenges, including standardization of strain screening protocols, compliance with regulatory frameworks and farmer acceptance.
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BibTeX
@article{calysimbou2026bacteriocins,
title = {{Bacteriocins in plant pathology: current knowledge, application, challenges and perspectives}},
author = {Eva Caly-Simbou and Stéphane Ramin-Mangata and Stéphane Poussier and Yann Pecrix},
journal = {Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2025.153203},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05782660v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Bacteriocins in plant pathology: current knowledge, application, challenges and perspectives
AU - Eva Caly-Simbou
AU - Stéphane Ramin-Mangata
AU - Stéphane Poussier
AU - Yann Pecrix
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
DO - 10.1016/j.bbrc.2025.153203
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05782660v1
AB - To address the growing emergence of multi-resistant phytopathogenic bacteria, innovative solutions are being explored in the field of plant health. Among them, bacteriocins, antimicrobial peptides or proteins secreted by bacteria, characterized by a highly specific spectrum of activity and involved in intra-specific competition, are gaining increasing interest. Bacteriocins can confer a positive selective advantage in both natural and agricultural environments, thereby contributing to microbiome modulation. Bacteriocin-producing rhizobacteria and lactic acid bacteria are already used as biocontrol agents against phytopathogenic bacteria, as well as plant growth stimulators. Bacteriocins can be produced in situ by using avirulent strains, or ex situ through industrial synthesis and applied as biopesticides. Nowadays, genetic engineering enables production of chimeric bacteriocins and their direct production in transgenic plants, avoiding the need for repeated treatments and limiting emergence of resistances. The selection of promising bacteriocins can be guided by omics-based approaches, notably metagenomics, which involve the direct extraction and sequencing of DNA from environmental samples and provides access to the genetic diversity in complex soil or plant-associated microbiomes. Combined with open-access databases and recently developed integrated tools, this approach not only facilitates the identification of known structures of bacteriocins, but also enables the prediction of potentially active peptides even those never experimentally characterized. Bacteriocin-based strategies, at the crossroads of molecular biology, microbial ecology and agronomy, hold significant potential for promoting sustainable agriculture through highly specific pathogen targeting. However, their large-scale implementation still faces several challenges, including standardization of strain screening protocols, compliance with regulatory frameworks and farmer acceptance.
SN - 0006-291X
SN - 1090-2104
ER -