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Transgenic plants expressing ω-ACTX-Hv1a and snowdrop lectin (GNA) fusion protein show enhanced resistance to aphids

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Martin EdwardsORCiD, Professor Angharad MR GatehouseORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

Recombinant fusion proteins containing arthropod toxins have been developed as a new class of biopesticides. The recombinant fusion protein HO a/GNA, containing the spider venom toxin omega-ACTX-1-Hv1a linked to snowdrop lectin (GNA) was shown to reduce survival of the peach-potato aphid Myzus persicae when delivered in artificial diet, with survival <10% after 8 days exposure to fusion protein at 1 mg/ml. Although the fusion protein was rapidly degraded by proteases in the insect, HO a/GNA oral toxicity to M. persicae was significantly greater than GNA alone. A construct encoding the fusion protein, including the GNA leader sequence, under control of the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter was transformed into Arabidopsis; the resulting plants contained intact fusion protein in leaf tissues at an estimated level of 25.6 +/- 4.1 ng/mg FW. Transgenic Arabidopsis expressing Hv1a/GNA induced up to 40% mortality of M. persicae after 7 days exposure in detached leaf bioassays, demonstrating that transgenic plants can deliver fusion proteins to aphids. Grain aphids (Sitobion avenae) were more susceptible than M. persicae to the HO a/GNA fusion protein in artificial diet bioassays (LC50 = 0.73 mg/ml after 2 days against LC50 = 1.81 mg/ml for M. persicae), as they were not able to hydrolyze the fusion protein as readily as M. persicae. Expression of this fusion protein in suitable host plants for the grain aphid is likely to confer higher levels of resistance than that shown with the M. persicae/Arabidopsis model system.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Nakasu EYT, Edwards MG, Fitches E, Gatehouse JA, Gatehouse AMR

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Frontiers in Plant Science

Year: 2014

Volume: 5

Online publication date: 28/11/2014

Acceptance date: 12/11/2014

Date deposited: 17/09/2015

ISSN (electronic): 1664-462X

Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2014.00673

DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2014.00673


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
0437-10-7Capes Foundation
TS/I000690/1Technology Strategy Board

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