Toxicity toChrysomela tremulae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of transgenic poplars expressing a cysteine proteinase inhibitor

• DOI: 10.1007/bf01248409
• Publication Date: 2005-02-27T04:05:27Z
• Authors: Jean Charles Leplé; Michel Bonadé-Bot...; Sylvie Augustin; Gilles Pilate; Véronique Dumanoi...; André Delplanque; Daniel Cornu; Lise Jouanin
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences; PEUPLIER; [SDV.BBM] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; [SDV.BBM]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology

The aim of this study was to test the potential of proteinase inhibitors to controlChrysomela tremulae, a beetle that causes severe damage in young plantations and in short-rotation intensive culture (SRIC) of poplar. As a first step, cysteine proteinases were determined to be the major digestive proteinases ofC. tremulae and oryzacystatin OCI, a cysteine proteinase inhibitor, was shown to inhibit this activityin vitro. The gene encoding OCI was introduced into poplar (Populus tremula ×P. tremuloides) and transgenic plants expressing OCI at a high level were selected. Feeding tests on these transgenic plants demonstrate the toxicity of OCI-producing poplar leaves againstC. tremulae larvae.