EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCES ON A CROP PLANT ROLE IN EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SAPRONOTIC (SOIL-BORNE) BACTERIAL INFECTIONS

Abstract

Specific epidemiology of sapronotic (soil-borne) bacteria is characterized from the ecological point of view. The characteristic feature of soil-borne pathogens is an ability to exist autonomously in the environment. This analytical review is focused on crops as alternative hosts for a number of soil-borne pathogenic bacteria (Yersinia, Salmonella, Listeria, Escherichia etc). Published experimental results evidence capabilities of human and animal pathogens to colonize plant tissues. Novel approaches are discussed to minimize risks of infection spreading with crops. These approaches include an analysis of wild plant natural resistance to pathogenic bacteria and a construction of transgenic plant crops expressing antimicrobial peptides. Multiple studies are cited that established wild plants used in traditional medicine as a source for obtaining molecules effective against resistant pathogens. The review includes recent author results on activity of wild plant extracts against Listeria and toxin-producing Escherichia.