A peptide encoded by a highly conserved gene belonging to the genus shows antimicrobial activity against plant pathogens.

The genus has been unceasingly highlighted for the versatility and diversity of the antimicrobial agents they produce. Moreover, it is a heavily sequenced taxon in the phylum Actinobacteria. In this study, 47 sequence profiles were identified as proteins highly conserved within the genus Significant hits to the 38 profiles were found in more than 2000 genomes, 11 of which were further conserved in more than 90% of Actinobacterial genomes analyzed. Only a few genes corresponding to these sequence profiles were functionally characterized, which play regulatory roles in the morphology and biosynthesis of antibiotics. Here a highly conserved sequence, namely, SHC-AMP ( highly conserved antimicrobial peptide), which exhibited antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal plant pathogens, was reported. In particular, was effectively protected against infection with pv. DC3000 by treatment with this peptide. Results indicated the potential application of this peptide as an antimicrobial agent for control of plant diseases. Our results suggest putative target genes for controlling spp., including the one exhibiting antimicrobial activity against a wide range of phytopathogens.