Sign in Subscribe
Genetic research

Breakthrough in Plant Proteins: Researchers Develop Resistance Against Sucking and Chewing Insect Pests

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute have made a significant discovery in the field of plant proteins. By combining a double gene construct harboring Cry2Ab and PTA, they have achieved broad-spectrum and durable resistance against multiple insect pests. The study, published in Molecular Biology Reports, demonstrates the efficacy of the Cry2Ab + PTA construct against major sucking and chewing insect pests of cotton.

Key Takeaways:

  • Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute have developed a double gene construct that provides resistance against both sucking and chewing insect pests.
  • The construct, which combines Cry2Ab and PTA, was evaluated in Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana, two model plant systems.
  • Transgenic plants expressing Cry2Ab + PTA showed high mortality rates against Myzus persicae (green peach aphid), Bemisia tabaci (whitefly), and Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm).
  • The research suggests that introducing the Cry2Ab + PTA construct into cotton and other crops can control multiple insect pests.
  • The study highlights the potential of plant-derived mannose binding lectins in providing targeted resistance against insect pests.

Statistics:

  • 74% mortality rate of Myzus persicae (green peach aphid) on N. benthamiana expressing Cry2Ab + PTA compared to 25% on non-transgenic controls.
  • 78% mortality rate of Bemisia tabaci (whitefly) on N. benthamiana expressing Cry2Ab + PTA compared to 22% on non-transgenic controls.
  • 83% mortality rate of Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm) on transgenic A. thaliana plants expressing Cry2Ab + PTA compared to 17% on non-transgenic controls.

Sources:

  • A combination of cry (Cry2Ab) and plant lectin (PTA) genes confers resistance against major sucking and chewing insect pests of cotton. Molecular Biology Reports, 2025;52(1):1034.
  • Springer, Van Godewijckstraat 30, 3311 Gz Dordrecht, Netherlands.
  • Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States.

Read more