| Title: | Engineering of benzylglucosinolate in tobacco provides proof-of-concept for dead-end trap crops genetically modified to attract Plutella xylostella (diamondback moth) |
| Author(s): | Moldrup ME; Geu-Flores F; de Vos M; Olsen CE; Sun J; Jander G; Halkier BA; |
| Address: | "Section for Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark" |
| DOI: | 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2011.00680.x |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1467-7652 (Electronic) 1467-7644 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Glucosinolates are biologically active natural products characteristic of crucifers, including oilseed rape, cabbage vegetables and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Crucifer-specialist insect herbivores, like the economically important pest Plutella xylostella (diamondback moth), frequently use glucosinolates as oviposition stimuli. This suggests that the transfer of a glucosinolate biosynthetic pathway to a non-crucifer would stimulate oviposition on an otherwise non-attractive plant. Here, we demonstrate that stable genetic transfer of the six-step benzylglucosinolate pathway from A. thaliana to Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) results in the production of benzylglucosinolate without causing morphological alterations. Benzylglucosinolate-producing tobacco plants were more attractive for oviposition by female P. xylostella moths than wild-type tobacco plants. As newly hatched P. xylostella larvae were unable to survive on tobacco, these results represent a proof-of-concept strategy for rendering non-host plants attractive for oviposition by specialist herbivores with the long-term goal of generating efficient dead-end trap crops for agriculturally important pests" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Biological Assay Biosynthetic Pathways Crops, Agricultural/*genetics Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/metabolism Female Genetic Engineering/*methods Larva/growth & development Moths/growth & development/*physiology Open Reading Frames/genetics Ovipo;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineMoldrup, Morten E Geu-Flores, Fernando de Vos, Martin Olsen, Carl E Sun, Joel Jander, Georg Halkier, Barbara A eng England 2012/01/20 Plant Biotechnol J. 2012 May; 10(4):435-42. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2011.00680.x. Epub 2012 Jan 19" |
