Insecticidal genes in Pest Management
Lipsa Dash1, *Sandeep Rout2, UditNandan Mishra2, Gyanaranjan Sahoo3 and Ajay Kumar Prusty1
1M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, Odisha, India.
2Faculty of Agriculture, Sri Sri University, Cuttack, Odisha, India
3KrishiVigyan Kendra, Odisha University of Agriculture &Technology, Angul, Odisha, India
*Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Sessile plants face a variety of abiotic stresses, making them vulnerable to insect pests.
Successful crop establishments can only be assured with effective eco-friendly management practices. Unfortunately, most of these practices harness natural resources, but recently, genetic engineering has emerged as a viable alternative against plant insect pests. Insecticidal protein in bacteria which express constitutively once introgressed through r-DNA technology have shown efficacy against lepidopteran and coleopteran pests. Indigenous expression of plant secondary metabolites like flavonoids shows negative effects on insect pest reproduction. Genetic engineering of plants expressing insect cell wall (containing structural polysaccharides like chitin) degrading enzymes showed efficacy of insecticidal potential. The basic principle behind the digestion of ingested food is to hydrolyze it with an enzyme. Such gut enzymes of insects get attenuated when they come across the enzyme inhibitors (such as protease inhibitors, alpha-amylase inhibitors etc) present in the fed portion of the plants. All of these genes encoding insecticidal compounds are abundant in nature. This review intends to summarize the progress made in this area using genetic engineering to successfully come up with transgenes against plant insect pests.
Keywords: Enzyme inhibitors, genetic engineering, r-DNA technology, transgenes.
Introduction
The most serious limiting factor in crop yield is pest infestation, which causes severe damage to crop plants. Different classes of proteins and secondary metabolites have evolved in plants as effective countermeasures against herbivorous insects over time, and the utilisation of these natural plant defence mechanisms as a tool for genetic engineering for crop pest management is currently anachievement. Hence different genes coding proteins and secondary metabolites have been isolated for developing traits showing pest resistance.
Genes of any living source when incorporated and expressed in a plant produce several products which have insecticidal property or growth and developmental impediment property against the phytophagous insects are called insecticidal genes. Such genes are available in plants and animals. After isolation, these genes are incorporated in to a crop
genetic background such that the transferred genes express themselves constitutively to produce several proteins with toxic properties [27].
Sources of insecticidal genes 1. Bacterial Sources
Bt toxins attach to glycoprotein receptors on the cell membrane of midgut cells,
causing pores in the membrane to open, disrupting cellular osmotic equilibrium and causing cells to expand and lyse in a process known as colloidal lysis.
Ion leakage from the midgut to the haemolymph causes an ionic imbalance in the haemolymph, resulting in septicaemia.
Insects stop eating ultimately leading to death.
Table 1. Bacterial gene as insecticide Crop Foreign gene Origin of
insecticidal genes
Target pests References
Potato Cry1Ab B.
thuringiensis
Pthorimaeaoperculella Kunitzetal., 2007 [1]
Sugarcane Cry1Ab B.
thuringiensis
Diatreasaccharalis Kunitzetal., 2007 [1]
Tobacco Cry1Ab B.
thuringiensis
Heliothisvirescens Kunitzetal., 2007 [1]
Tomato Cry1Ac B.
thuringiensis
Manducasexta Kunitzetal., 2007 [1]
Bt(k) B.
thuringiensis
ManducasextaHelicoverpazea Klümper et al., 2014[2]
Brinjal CryIIIb B.
thuringiensis
Leptinotarsadecemlineata Klümper et al., 2014[2]
Cotton Cry1Ab, cry1Ac,cryIIAb
B.
thuringiensis
Helicoverpazea, Spodopteraexigua
Gatehouse etal., 2013[3]
Maize Cry1Ab B.
thuringiensis
Ostrinianubilalis Gatehouse etal., 2013[3]
Tobacco Sip toxin B.
thuringiensis
Manducasexta Palma et al., 2017[4]
2. Plant metabolites
Flavonoids
They behave like an antifeedant and also affect the insect through antibiosis, thus regulating insect growth and reproduction [5].
Table 2. Plant secondary metabolite gene as insecticide Crop Name of the
compound
Insecticidal gene
Origin of insecticidal
gene
Target Pest References
Tobacco Anthocyanins and O-Glycosylated flavonols
UGT gene (CsUGT72AM1)
Purple-leaf tea variety,
‘Mooma1’
Spodopteralitura Xiujuanet al., 2018[6]
Banana Phenylphenalenones Bluggoe
(Musa acuminata
×
balbisiana)
Banana weevil Hölscheret al., 2016[7]
3. Enzymes
Another alternative to Bt genes has been suggested: transgenic expression of certain enzymes. Chitinase, a key component of insect integument, is one of the most significant enzymes.
The resistance of transgenic tobacco plants producing chitinase against lepidopteran insects has enhanced [8].
Serratiamarcesenschitinase has been discovered to work in tandem with Bt toxin against S. littoralis [9].
The bacterial isopentenyltransferase (ipt) gene, which is necessary for cytokinin production, was found to be efficient against Manducasexta when combined with a promoter from the proteinase inhibitor II (PI-IIK) gene and introduced into Nicotianaplumbaginifolia [10].
4. Plant derived genes
Alpha-amylase inhibitors
In plants alpha amylase inhibitors are held in seeds and tubers towards the finish of life in extensive sums.
Alpha amylase is such a catalyst that catalyzes the endolysis of 1-4 connected glucose polymers, which leads to hydrolytic items with alpha setup.
They have an impact in safeguard by restraining an assortment of alpha amylases from different sources by shaping irreversible edifices with them.
Thus it influences absorption of sugars in bugs.
Table 3. Plant derived gene as insecticide Crop Insecticidal
genes
Origin of insecticidal genes
Target pests References
Tobacco WAAI gene Wheat Lepidopteran
larvae
Carboneroet al.,1993[11]
Pea BAAI gene Bean Callosobruchus Shade et al.,
1994[12]
Tobacco AlphaAI-Pc1 Bean
(Phaseoluscoccineus)
Lepidopteran larvae
De Azevedoet al., 2006[13]
Proteases inhibitors
They are found in leguminosae, graminae and solanaceae families.
The impacts of PIs on defenseless bugs are for the most part seen as an expansion in mortality, decline in development rate and prolongation of larval formative period [3].
A foundational arrangement of PIs is absurd because of varieties as far as source, construction, specificities and size. Anyway they are gathered into 4 explicit gatherings Serine, Cysteine, Metallo and aspartic protease inhibitors. Among them the Potato inhibitor 1 and 11 families, the Bowmann-Birk inhibitor (BBI) families and the soybean trypsin inhibitor family are generally significant.
Table 4. Protease Inhibitor (PI) as insecticide Crop Insecticidal genes Origin of insecticidal
genes
Target Pest References
Tobacco Tainong 57 trypsin inhibitor gene
Sweet potato Spodoptera litura Yehet al., 1997[14]
Rice Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (SKTI)
gene
Soybean Nilaparvatalugens Lee et al., 1999[15]
Rice Cowpea trypsin inhibitor (CpTi)
gene
Cowpea C. suppressalisand Sesamiainferens
Xuet al., 1996[16]
oilseed rape
Oryzacystatin I (OCI)
Rice Psylliodeschrysocephala Girard et al., 1998[17]
Brassica oleracea
var.
capitata
Cp-Ti Cowpea P. rapae Fang et al.,
1997[18]
Sugarcane Soybean Bowman- Birk trypsin
inhibitor
Soybean Diatraeasaccharalis Xuet al., 1996[16]
Lectins
Lectins are defined as proteins that reversibly bind to specific carbohydrates.
They are heterogenous gathering of proteins vary from one another regarding their atomic design, carb restricting particularity and natural exercises (Esteban etal., 2006).
Lectins apply their inhibitory impact by restricting to glycoproteins implanted in peritropicmatix coating the bug midgut and inturn disturbing the absorption interaction.
Lectins from snowdrop, pea, wheat, rice, castor, soybean, mungbean, garlic, yam, tobacco, chickpea and groundnut have been detached and described.
Table 5. Carbohydrate binding protein (lectin) as insecticide Crop Transgene Origin of
transgene
Target insect pests References
Rice GNA Snowdrop Nilaparvatalugens
Nephotettix virescens
Yang et al., 2018[19]
GNA Snowdrop and
Spider
N.lugens Yang et al., 2018[19]
Wheat GNA Snowdrop Sitobionavenae Stogeret al.,2015
[20]
Potato GNA Snowdrop Myzuspersicae Stogeret al.,2015
[20]
Mustard WGA Wheat Lipaphiserysimi Stogeret al.,2015
[20]
Potato ConA Tomato Potato aphid Cao et al.,
2015[21]
Crops that have been genetically manipulated
GM crops, often known as biotech crops, are agricultural plants whose DNA has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. In each scenario, the goal is to introduce a novel gene into the plant that does not occur naturally.It provides resistance to specific insect pests, illnesses, environmental circumstances (e.g. herbicide resistance), or improves the nutrition profile of cultivated food crops.
GM technology has been widely adopted by farmers. From 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 185.1 million hectares in 2016, worldwide cropland rose by 12 percent. Herbicide tolerance (95.9 million hectares), insect resistance (25.2 million hectares), or both (58.5 million hectares) are the most common features in main crops (soybean, maize, canola, and cotton) as of 2016 [22].
28 types of insect pests and parasites have been accounted for to be related with brinjal. Among these the brinjal shoot and natural product drill has been accounted for to be the genuine nuisance which lessens the harvest yield up to 60-70% and delivers the huge misfortune underway. Other than brinjal, it was likewise found to assault shoots and products of tomato, potato (Solarium tuberosum L.), green peas (Pisumsativum L.) and Solanumtorvum Swartz. The brinjal leafy foods drill is dynamic during blustery and summer seasons and frequently causes over 90% harm [23].
Considering the significance of the brinjal and the severity of the problem with the brinjal shoot and fruit borer, management approaches are entirely reliant on chemical pesticides [24]. Continuous usage of synthetic chemicals pollutes the environment and causes hazardous residues to accumulate in the body [25].The pesticides carbaryl, chlorpyriphos, deltamethrin, endosulfan, fenvalerate, and profenofos were discovered to have extensive resistance in the populations of brinjal shoot and fruit borer [26]. As a result, alternative pest management tactics in brinjal pest control programmes are urgently needed.
Brinjal that has been genetically engineered (Bt-brinjal)
The genetically modified brinjal (also known as an eggplant or aubergine) is a group of transgenic brinjals generated by introducing the crystal protein gene (Cry1Ac) from the soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis into the genomes of various brinjal cultivars.Agrobacterium- mediated genetic transformation is used to insert the gene, as well as other genetic components such as promoters, terminators, and an antibiotic resistance marker gene, into the brinjal plant.
Btbrinjal was created to provide resistance to lepidopteran insects, specifically the Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer, Leucinodesorbonalis. In 2013, Bangladesh approved the commercial distribution of Btbrinjal.
Genetically modified tomato (Bt-tomato)
A GM tomato is a tomato variety with a genetically modified gene. FlavrSavr, a tomato developed to have a longer shelf life, was the first trial genetically modified product, but it never made it to market. There are currently no GM tomatoes on the market, but scientists are working on creating tomatoes with new features such as greater insect pest resistance.
The insecticidal poison from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis has been embedded into a tomato plant. At the point when attempted under field condition, they showed protection from the tobacco hornworm (Manducasexta), tomato fruitworm (Heliothiszea), the tomato pinworm (Keiferialy copersicella) and the tomato natural product drill (Helicoverpaarmigera). Root tie nematode safe tomato has been made by embedding a cysteine proteinase inhibitor quality from taro. Nuisance safe tomatoes can diminish the environmental impression of tomato creation while simultaneously increment farm income.
Genetically modified Maize
A genetically modified crop is GM maize. Specific maize strains have been genetically modified to display agriculturally desired features such as insect and herbicide tolerance. Multiple countries are now using maize strains with both features.
Bt corn is a variation of maize that has been hereditarily changed to communicate at least one proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis including Delta endotoxins. The protein is noxious to some bug bugs. Spores of the Bt is broadly utilized in natural cultivating, however GM maize isn't natural. The European corn drill makes colossal harm
corn crops each year. GM Corn has been effective in controlling bugs like European corn drill.
Conclusion
Pesticides used indiscriminately have resulted in insect resistance and recurrence difficulties. Safer alternative options for effective insect pest management include the use of particular chemicals with minimal persistence and the exploitation of natural plant resistance mechanisms.Accordingly, insect resistant GM plants will lessen the utilization of those risky pesticides by consolidating qualities that encode common biodegradable proteins with no destructive impact to creatures and people. Notwithstanding, the resistance from the counter GM developments everywhere on the world, without a doubt, will track down its more and quick application in creepy crawly bug control of significant harvests. The accessibility of various insecticidal qualities with well similarity makes it conceivable to utilize those qualities in a blend for better nuisance opposition. The transgenic crops created for bother obstruction ought to be viable with different acts of IPM to be strong and practical. In the event that all around evaluated, it will immensely affect the farming usefulness in not so distant future both in creating and created nations.
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