Bedoukian   RussellIPM   RussellIPM   Piezoelectric Micro-Sprayer


Home
Animal Taxa
Plant Taxa
Semiochemicals
Floral Compounds
Semiochemical Detail
Semiochemicals & Taxa
Synthesis
Control
Invasive spp.
References

Abstract

Guide

Alphascents
Pherobio
InsectScience
E-Econex
Counterpart-Semiochemicals
Print
Email to a Friend
Kindly Donate for The Pherobase

« Previous Abstract"A late Golgi sorting function for Saccharomyces cerevisiae Apm1p, but not for Apm2p, a second yeast clathrin AP medium chain-related protein"    Next AbstractDay-long reduction of oral malodor by a palatal mucoadhesive tablet containing herbal formulation »

PLoS Biol


Title:Nicotine's defensive function in nature
Author(s):Steppuhn A; Gase K; Krock B; Halitschke R; Baldwin IT;
Address:"Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany"
Journal Title:PLoS Biol
Year:2004
Volume:20040817
Issue:8
Page Number:E217 -
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0020217
ISSN/ISBN:1545-7885 (Electronic) 1544-9173 (Print) 1544-9173 (Linking)
Abstract:"Plants produce metabolites that directly decrease herbivore performance, and as a consequence, herbivores are selected for resistance to these metabolites. To determine whether these metabolites actually function as defenses requires measuring the performance of plants that are altered only in the production of a certain metabolite. To date, the defensive value of most plant resistance traits has not been demonstrated in nature. We transformed native tobacco(Nicotiana attenuata) with a consensus fragment of its two putrescine N-methyl transferase (pmt) genes in either antisense or inverted-repeat (IRpmt) orientations. Only the latter reduced (by greater than 95%) constitutive and inducible nicotine. With D(4)-nicotinic acid (NA), we demonstrate that silencing pmt inhibits nicotine production, while the excess NA dimerizes to form anatabine. Larvae of the nicotine-adapted herbivore Manduca sexta (tobacco hornworm) grew faster and, like the beetle Diabrotica undecimpunctata, preferred IRpmt plants in choice tests. When planted in their native habitat, IRpmt plants were attacked more frequently and, compared to wild-type plants, lost 3-fold more leaf area from a variety of native herbivores, of which the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, and Trimerotropis spp. grasshoppers caused the most damage. These results provide strong evidence that nicotine functions as an efficient defense in nature and highlights the value of transgenic techniques for ecological research"
Keywords:"Animals Blotting, Southern DNA, Bacterial/chemistry Dimerization Ecology Ethidium/pharmacology *Gene Expression Regulation, Plant Gene Silencing Genetic Vectors Manduca Methyltransferases/metabolism Models, Genetic Molecular Sequence Data Niacin/chemistry;"
Notes:"MedlineSteppuhn, Anke Gase, Klaus Krock, Bernd Halitschke, Rayko Baldwin, Ian T eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2004/08/18 PLoS Biol. 2004 Aug; 2(8):E217. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0020217. Epub 2004 Aug 17"

 
Back to top
 
Citation: El-Sayed AM 2024. The Pherobase: Database of Pheromones and Semiochemicals. <http://www.pherobase.com>.
© 2003-2024 The Pherobase - Extensive Database of Pheromones and Semiochemicals. Ashraf M. El-Sayed.
Page created on 27-12-2024