Engineered multidomain cysteine protease inhibitors yield resistance against western flower thrips (Franklinielia occidentalis) in greenhouse trials

Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripiclae), cause very large economic damage on a variety of field and greenhouse crops. In this study, plant resistance against thrips was introduced into transgenic potato plants through the expression of novel, custom-made, multiclomain protease inhibitors. Representative classes of inhibitors of cysteine and aspartic proteases [kininogen domain 3 (K), stefin A (A), cystatin C (C), potato cystatin (P) and equistatin (EIM)] were fused into reading frames consisting of four (K-A-C-P) to five (EIM-K-A-C-P) proteins, and were shown to fold into functional inhibitors in the yeast Pichia pastoris. The multiclomain proteins were expressed in potato and found to be more resistant to degradation by plant proteases than the individual domains. In a time span of 14-16 days, transgenic potato plants expressing EIMKACP and KACP at a similar concentration reduced the number of larvae and adults to less than 20% of the control. Leaf damage on protected plants was minimal. Engineered multiclomain cysteine protease inhibitors thus provide a novel way of controlling western flower thrips in greenhouse and field crops, and open up possibilities for novel insect resistance applications in transgenic crops.

de Kogel, WJ (author)
Wiegers, GL (author)
Abrahamson, MagnusLund University,Lunds universitet,Avdelningen för klinisk kemi och farmakologi,Institutionen för laboratoriemedicin,Medicinska fakulteten,Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology,Department of Laboratory Medicine,Faculty of Medicine(Swepub:lu)kkem-mab (author)
Jongsma, MA (author)
Avdelningen för klinisk kemi och farmakologiInstitutionen för laboratoriemedicin (creator_code:org_t)

By the author/editor: Outchkourov, NS; de Kogel, WJ; Wiegers, GL; Abrahamson, Magn ...; Jongsma, MA

About the subject

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES: MEDICAL AND HEAL ...; and Basic Medicine; and Medicinal Chemis ...

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES: MEDICAL AND HEAL ...; and Basic Medicine; and Pharmacology and ...

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