The undiscovered potential of dehydroproline as a fire blight control option

Abstract

The non-protein amino acid 3,4-dehydro-l-proline (DHP) significantly reduced the incidence of fire blight infection on immature pear fruits infected with wildtype Erwinia amylovora. DHP also inhibited biofilm formation in both streptomycin-sensitive and -resistant strains of E. amylovora and induced dispersal of preformed biofilms in the streptomycin-sensitive strain. The investigations shed light on the hitherto undiscovered ability of DHP to inhibit bacterial biofilms and its potential as a chemical control option for fire blight. © 2012 The Authors Plant Pathology © 2012 BSPP.