Review of viral vectors for antimicrobial peptide expression in plants for agriculture

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Frontiers in Medicine Published May 13, 2026 Medically reviewed May 13, 2026 DOI ↗ By Dr. Amelia Tan, PhD · Internal Medicine & Chronic Disease

Key Takeaway

Consider the early evidence on viral vectors for plant AMP expression is limited by instability and delivery challenges.

This is a narrative review focusing on the use of viral vectors for antimicrobial peptide (AMP) expression in plants within an agricultural setting. The authors synthesize the current state of this technology, highlighting its potential to redefine the future of sustainable agriculture. However, the review does not report specific study populations, sample sizes, or primary outcomes, as these details are not provided in the source.

The authors note several key limitations that hinder progress. These include instability of the vectors, poor bioavailability of the expressed peptides, and a lack of efficient, field-compatible delivery strategies. The review also reports cytotoxicity as a safety concern, though serious adverse events and discontinuations are not reported.

The authors do not provide pooled effect sizes or quantitative syntheses, as this is a qualitative narrative review. The scope is limited to discussing the conceptual and technical challenges of this approach. Gaps in the evidence include the absence of reported field trials or efficacy data.

Practice relevance is framed cautiously, suggesting this technology could redefine sustainable agriculture, but the authors acknowledge that significant hurdles must be overcome. The review does not make specific clinical or agricultural recommendations due to the early and incomplete nature of the evidence.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedMay 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are key components of plant innate immunity, offering broad spectrum protection against pathogens and represent promising alternatives to chemical pesticides for sustainable crop protection. Despite their broad range antimicrobial activity and low potential for resistance development, the deployment of AMPs in agriculture has been severely limited by instability, poor bioavailability and the lack of efficient, field-compatible delivery strategies. Harnessing viral vectors as platforms for AMP expression in plants represents a powerful strategy to enhance plant innate immunity. This review provides an overview of the potential of viral vectors for transient gene expression, functional genomics and genome editing. We discuss the design, construction and delivery of viral vectors, as well as the main challenges associated with AMP expression, including cytotoxicity and stability. Finally, inspired by adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediated AMP delivery strategies in mammals, we propose a vaccine-like strategy for plant protection, in which viral vectors enable endogenous AMP production Although plants lack adaptive immunity, virus-mediated AMP expression may function as a biochemical analog, reinforcing basal defence layers and enhancing tolerance to pathogen infection. By integrating viral biotechnology with plant defence mechanisms, this approach could redefine the future of sustainable agriculture.