One tiny protein from a tick can actually "brainwash" a deadly crop fungus into being completely harmless.
Researchers found a peptide in tick immune systems that can rewrite nearly 50% of a fungus's genetic instructions. This massive 'genomic disruption' stops the fungus from growing and prevents it from releasing the toxins that ruin wheat harvests.
The antifungal and antimycotoxin efficacy of the tick peptide TickCore3 is associated with a broad and complex transcriptional response in Fusarium graminearum
SSRN · 6508544
Fusarium graminearum is a fungal pathogen causing Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) in wheat and is the main cause of grain contamination with the deoxynivalenol (DON) mycotoxin which is a major threat to food safety and security. The several drawbacks of synthetic fungicides have prompted the search for innovative and eco-friendly solutions. Recently, TickCore3 (TC3), a peptide derived from the defensin DefMT3 of the tick Ixodes ricinus, was shown to efficiently reduce F. graminearum fungal growth and