Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #195981
Title: PHYTODECTA FORNICATA BRUGGERMANN RESISTANCE MEDIATED BY ORYZACYSTATIN II PROTEINASE INHIBITOR TRANSGENE

Author
item NINKOVIC, SLAVICA - UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE
item MILJUS-DUKIC, JOVANKA - BULEVAR VOJVODE BELGRADE
item RADOVIC, SVETLANA - BULEVAR VOJVODE BELGRADE
item MAKSIMOVIC, VESNA - BULEVAR VOJVODE BELGRADE
item LAZAREVIC, JELICA - UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE
item VINTERHALTER, BRANKA - UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE
item NESKOVIC, MIRJANA - UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE
item Smigocki, Anna

Submitted to: International Journal of Plant Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/3/2007
Publication Date: 9/21/2007
Citation: Ninkovic, S., Miljus-Dukic, J., Radovic, S., Maksimovic, V., Lazarevic, J., Vinterhalter, B., Neskovic, M., Smigocki, A.C. 2007. Phytodecta fornicata bruggermann resistance mediated by oryzacystatin ii proteinase inhibitor transgene. International Journal of Plant Science. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11240-007-9296-2

Interpretive Summary: The Lucerne leaf beetle is an alfalfa field pest. The beetle causes serious economic losses in Europe and has the potential to impact North American agriculture as it has been consistently detected during the past two years on ceramic tiles imported from Italy. The only current control is with a very toxic, insecticide (Malathion), therefore, alternate, environmentally friendly control strategies are needed. We used biotechnological approaches to genetically modify alfalfa with a novel gene (trait) that inhibits the insect's digestive enzymes. Once digestion of the consumed food is inhibited, the insect does not grow and develop normally. We observed that 80% of the leaf beetle larvae died when they were fed leaves from the genetically engineered alfalfa as compared to 0 to 40% mortality on non-engineered alfalfa. This information will be used by scientists interested in developing effective management strategies for the leaf beetle and other plant pests.

Technical Abstract: Phytodecta fornicata Bruggemann is a serious pest of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) that causes significant crop loss in the Balkan peninsula of Europe. We introduced a wound-inducible oryzacystatin II (OCII) gene to alfalfa to evaluate its effect on survival of P. fornicata larvae and beetles. Feeding bioassays with second, third and fourth-instars were carried out using transgenic plants that were shown to express OCII at 24 and 48 h after wounding. Second and third instars were the most sensitive to the ingestion of OCII, whereas no effects were observed with fourth-instars or adult beetles. About 80 % of the second and third instars died after 2 days of feeding on the transgenic plants as compared to 0 to 40 % on the controls. This is a first report that demonstrates significant increases in mortality of P. fornicata on transgenic plants that express a cysteine proteinase inhibitor gene, and this knowledge should lead to the development of effective management strategies for this devastating pest of alfalfa.