Antifungal Activity of Avocado Seed Recombinant GASA/Snakin PaSn.

The avocado fruit () has become a significant fruit in the human diet for its nutritional properties. However, the seed is a source of bioactive molecules and has been poorly utilized. Previously, we reported that the PaSn gene is expressed in the avocado seeds, a cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptide (GASA/Snakin), and demonstrated its antibacterial activity. In this work, we report the recombinant production of PaSn in the system and evaluate its antifungal activity against plant and human pathogen fungi. The recombinant peptide showed antifungal activity at 200 μg/mL against phytopathogens and and human pathogens and . Our results demonstrate the usefulness of a prokaryotic expression system for avocado antimicrobial peptide production. In conclusion, the snakin PaSn could be helpful in the control of postharvest avocado and other fruits' fungal diseases and human fungal pathogens.