Objective
The first generation transgenic plants, expressing single insecticidal crystal proteins (ICPs) derived from Bacillus thuringiensis, demonstrated the very interesting potentials of the technology. This holds promise as a new tool for integrated pest management and may help to reduce the use of chemical insecticides. The control of the target insect is sometimes very good (tobacco, hornworm, potato tubermoth), to moderate (tomato fruitworm), to poor (cotton bollworm).
In the present project, it is intended to obtain and evaluate a second generation of ICP transformed plants (commercial varieties of potato, tomato and Brassica) with improved performance.
Several crops have already been transformed with a gene encoding an insecticidal crystal protein (ICP) from Bacillus thuringiensis by means of genetic engineering. This holds promise as a new tool for integrated pest management and may help to reduce the use of chemical insecticides. The first generation plants still may have important limitations and the objectives of this project is to overcome some of these.
The aim of the work is to obtain second generation ICP transformed plants (commercial varieties of tomato, cabbages and potato) with improved performance on the insecticidal activity and spectrum. An evaluation and implementation strategy is under way to retard the development of resistance in insects towards ICP transformed plants.
A number of strategic choices have been made with respect to the plant cultivars, the ICP genes and the targeted insects. Potato and tomato are given priority as model plants for evaluation. Target insects include the potato tuber moth, the tomato fruitworm and the army worm.
Transformation experiments in potato and tomato cultivars have led to transgenic plants with satisfactory control of the target insects. The analysis of the mechanism of action of ICPs is focused on 4 insect pests. The binding characteristics of 3 ICPs toxic to P xylostella have been compared between a susceptible and a field population resistant to B thuringiensis. A causal link has been demonstrated between resistance to an ICP and the absence of a midgut membrane receptor in the insect. This is the first time that the mechanism of resistance to ICPs has been elucidated in an insect population that has developed resistance in the field.
Recently several crops (tobacco, tomato, potato) have been transformed with a gene encoding an insecticidal crystal protein (ICP) from Bacillus thuringiensis by means of genetic engineering. This holds promise as a new tool for integrated pest management and may help to reduce the use of chemical insecticides. Potato and tomato are given priority as model plants for evaluation. Target insects include the potato tuber moth, the tomato fruitworm and an army worm. 3 different ICPs have been brought to expression in tobacco. Transformation experiments in potato and tomato cultivars have led to a number of transgenic plants to be evaluated in bioassays and at the molecular level. The obtained expression levels allowed satisfactory control to the target insects. Selection against ICPs on several insect species have been initiated. The binding characteristics of 3 ICPs toxic to Plutella xylostella have been compared between a laboratory strain (susceptible control) and a field population resistant to Dipel. A very practical result is the demonstration of a causative link between resistance to ICP and the absence of a midgut membrane receptor in the insect.
The first generation transgenic plants, expressing single insecticidal crystal proteins (ICP's) derived from Bacillus thuringiensis, demonstrated the very interisting potentials of the technology. This holds promise as a new tool for integrated pest management and may help to reduce the use of chemical insecticides. The control of the target insect is sometimes very good (tobacco, hornworm, potato tubermoth), to moderate (tomato fruitworm), to poor (cotton bollworm).
In the present project, we intend to obtain and evaluate a second generation of ICP transformed plants (commercial varieties of potato, tomato and Brassica) with improved performance.
The objective of the research work are as follows :
a) Plants with a broader insecticidal spectrum. Since the specificity of the ICP's is very high, they only provide protection against a narrow spectrum of insects. Combinations of genes will be designed in order ot broaden the insecticidal spectrum of the transgenic plants. The introduction of two (or more) foreign genes into the plant's genome can be achieved by the crossing of two parents which are both transgenic for a different ICP. Expression of different ICP's can also be achieved through the use of multiple gene vector constructions.
b) Plants with higher ICP expression levels. The number of genotypes transformed will be sufficient to assess the influence of genotype on ICP gene expression levels. By using different plant promoter sequences, plant vector constructions will be optimised for expression levels of novel ICP's. If expression of ICP's in transgenic lines remains below desired levels, the potential of plant breeding to increase expression levels will be explored. Independent transformants of one line will be crossed to increase gene copy number.
c) Plants strategically designed to minimise the chances for development of insect resistance against ICP's. The development of insect resistance will be studied through selection experiments with single and combined ICP's. The genetics, physiology, and biochemistry of resistance will provide valuable information for the design of strategies which anticipate the development of resistance. These strategies may include combinations, alternations and mosaics of ICP's with different binding sites.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture agronomy plant protection
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology genetic engineering
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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Coordinator
9000 Gent
Belgium
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