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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #189048
Title: SOMATIC TRANSFORMATION EFFICIENCIES AND EXPRESSION PATTERNS USING THE JCDNV AND PIGGYBAC TRANSPOSON GENE VECTORS IN INSECTS

Author
item BOSSIN, HERVE - IAEA LAB, AUSTRIA
item Furlong, Richard
item GILLETT, JENNIFER - UNIV FLORIDA,GAINESVILLE
item BERGOIN, MAX - MOLECULAR LAB, FRANCE
item Shirk, Paul

Submitted to: Insect Molecular Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/12/2006
Publication Date: 2/1/2007
Citation: Bossin, H., Furlong, R.B., Gillett, J.L., Bergoin, M., Shirk, P.D. 2007. Somatic transformation efficiencies and expression patterns using the JcDNV and piggyBac transposon gene vectors in insects. Insect Molecular Biology. 16:37-47.

Interpretive Summary: The protection of crops from insect pests is in jeopardy due to the loss of most insecticides because of acquired resistance or environmental hazard. This has left the industry with fewer options for pest control. Scientists at the USDA ARS, Center from Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, have developed a gene transfer system that can be used to test transgene activity in agricultural pest insects. The "JcDNV somatic transformation vectors" are based on the integration of virus sequences into the chromosomes of the host cell. The vectors function in flies and moths and provide an important tool in screening molecular genetic methods to control pest insects.

Technical Abstract: A somatic transformation gene vector has been developed utilizing the integration of viral sequences into insect cells in vivo. The JcDNV somatic transformation vectors are derivatives of plasmids that include the interrupted genome of the Junonia coenia densovirus. Microinjection of these plasmids into syncytial embryos of the fly Drosophila melanogaster and the lepidopterans, Plodia interpunctella, Ephestia kuehniella and Trichoplusia ni resulted in the persistence of marker gene expression through the adult stage. Inclusion of expression cassettes with tissue specific promoters resulted in an expression pattern that demonstrated fidelity with the phenotypes derived from germline transformed lines. Somatic transformation was shown to require the presence of the viral inverted terminal repeat in cis only and did not depend on non-structural viral proteins. The JcDNV somatic transformation system provides an efficient, robust vector that can be used to examine gene regulation from chromosomes in insects.