Transgenic Tobacco and Apple Plants Expressing Biotin-binding Proteins are Resistant to two Cosmopolitan Insect Pests, Potato Tuber Moth and Lightbrown Apple Moth, Respectively

Abstract

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun) and apple (Malus x domestica cv. Royal Gala) plants expressing avidin or strepavidin were produced using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. ELISA assays showed that avidin expression ranged from 3.1 to 4.6 microM in tobacco and from 1.9 to 11.2 microM in apple and streptavidin expression ranged from 11.4 to 24.5 microM in tobacco and from 0.4 to 14.6 microM in apple. Expressed at these levels, both biotin-binding proteins conferred a high level of insect resistance on transformed tobacco plants to larval potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (fam. Gelechiidae) and on apple plants to larvae of the lightbrown apple moth (LBAM) Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (fam. Tortricidae). More than 90% of PTM larvae died on tobacco plants expressing either avidin or streptavidin genes within 9 days of inoculation. Mortality of LBAM larvae was significantly higher (P < 0.05) on three avidin-expressing (89.6, 84.9 and 80.1%) and two streptavidin-expressing (90 and 82.5%) apple plant lines than on non-transformed control plants (14.1%) after 21 days. Weight of LBAM larvae was also significantly reduced by feeding on all apple shoots expressing avidin and on apple shoots expressing streptavidin at levels of 3.8 microM and above.

Development of hypopharyngeal glands in adult honey bees fed with a Bt toxin, a biotin-binding protein and a protease inhibitor

“…BBPs have activity against a broad range of insects. Leaf-feeding lepidopteran larvae were susceptible to BBPs expressed in transgenic tobacco and apple plants Markwick et al, 2003) 656 L.A. Malone et al and grain-feeding coleopteran and lepidopteran storage pests were susceptible to a BBP expressed in maize kernels (Kramer et al, 2000). Orthopteran activity was demonstrated using BBPpainted leaf material ) and artificial diet assays have shown effects on dipterans (Bruins et al, 1991) and mites (Levinson et al, 1992).…”

Biotechnological Approaches for the Control of Insect Pests in Crop Plants

“…Transgenic tobacco plants expressing either avidin or streptavidin increased mortality of the potato tuber moth (P. operculella). Similarly, transgenic apple expressing either avidin or streptavidin increased mortality and decreased growth of the lightbrown apple moth (E. postvittana) [39].…”

Avidin Expressed in Transgenic Rice Confers Resistance to the Stored-Product Insect PestsTribolium confusumandSitotroga cerealella

“…17) The GluB-1 promoter and alpha amylase signal sequence were used with rice. The GluB-1 promoter caused high-level accumulation of avidin in the transgenic rice kernels.…”