RT Journal Article
T1 DNA Aptamers Targeting BcSOD1: A Novel Strategy forControlling Botrytis cinerea in Sustainable Agriculture
A1 López-Laguna, Alba
A1 Polonio Escalona, Alvaro Acisclo
A1 Jiménez Castro, Lucía
A1 Morales, Yandira
A1 Vielba-Fernández, Alejandra
A1 Martín Palma, María Elena
A1 González Muñoz, Víctor Manuel
A1 De-Vicente-Moreno, Antonio
A1 Pérez-García, Alejandro
A1 Fernández-Ortuño, Dolores
K1 Control biológico
K1 Biotecnología agrícola
AB Botrytis cinerea, the necrotrophic fungus responsible for grey mould disease, is a major threat to global crop production. Controlstrategies mainly rely on chemical fungicides, but resistance development limits their long-term effectiveness. This study intro-duces, for the first time in crop protection, the use of DNA aptamers as a novel and sustainable strategy. Aptamers are short, single-stranded DNA molecules that bind specific targets with high affinity, acting like ‘chemical antibodies’. Using SELEX technology,two aptamers, SOD9.14F and SOD9.26F, were designed to target BcSOD1, a superoxide dismutase enzyme essential for fungalvirulence and ROS detoxification. Molecular modelling predicted that both aptamers bind within BcSOD1's catalytic pocket.Both aptamers inhibited BcSOD1 enzymatic activity (97.5%) and reduced germination (67%), fungal biomass (58%) and lesionformation (42%) in B. cinerea-infected tomato leaves (Solanum lycopersicum) and apple fruits (Malus domestica). Fluorescencemicroscopy confirmed aptamer binding to conidia surfaces. No antifungal effect was observed in the ΔBcsod1 mutant or withthe non-structured control aptamer Ap.AGA, supporting target specificity. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that SOD9.26F inter-fered with fungal oxidative stress responses and metabolism. Additionally, aptamer application primed tomato plants, activatingdefence-related gene expression. Interestingly, Ap.AGA aptamer triggered partial priming, suggesting a broader DNA-inducedeffect. These findings validate BcSOD1 as an antifungal target and highlight aptamers as dual-action agents: impairing fungaldevelopment and enhancing plant immunity. This study positions DNA aptamers as specific, effective and sustainable tools forintegrated management of grey mould in agriculture.
PB Wiley
YR 2025
FD 2025-07
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/39953
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/39953
LA eng
NO López-Laguna, A., Á. Polonio, L. Jiménez-Castro, et al. 2025. “ DNA Aptamers Targeting BcSOD1: A Novel Strategy for Controlling Botrytis cinerea in Sustainable Agriculture.” Plant Biotechnology Journal 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70317.
NO Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA
NO AYUDAS A LA I + D + i, EN EL ÁMBITO DEL PLAN ANDALUZ DE INVESTIGACIÓN, DESARROLLO E INNOVACIÓN (PAIDI 2020)
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 20 ene 2026