UK-China Collaboration for production of biologically active homoisoprenoids and their eventual use for pest control
Lead Research Organisation:
Rothamsted Research
Department Name: Directorate
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Publications
PICKETT J
(2012)
Aspects of insect chemical ecology: exploitation of reception and detection as tools for deception of pests and beneficial insects
in Physiological Entomology
Elek H
(2012)
The potential of hydroxamic acids in tetraploid and hexaploid wheat varieties as resistance factors against the bird-cherry oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi
in Annals of Applied Biology
Xu P
(2012)
Specificity determinants of the silkworm moth sex pheromone.
in PloS one
Magalhães DM
(2012)
Semiochemicals from herbivory induced cotton plants enhance the foraging behavior of the cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis.
in Journal of chemical ecology
Takemoto H
(2012)
Two-step learning involved in acquiring olfactory preferences for plant volatiles by parasitic wasps
in Animal Behaviour
Hegde M
(2012)
Aphid antixenosis in cotton is activated by the natural plant defence elicitor cis-jasmone.
in Phytochemistry
Ukeh DA
(2012)
Identification of host kairomones from maize, Zea mays, for the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais.
in Journal of chemical ecology
Yu XD
(2012)
Metabolic engineering of plant-derived (E)-ß-farnesene synthase genes for a novel type of aphid-resistant genetically modified crop plants.
in Journal of integrative plant biology
Tamiru A
(2012)
Oviposition induced volatile emissions from African smallholder farmers' maize varieties.
in Journal of chemical ecology
Description | The transcriptome of cotton was analysed before and after infestation with cotton bollworm, identifying several upregulated genes. Analysis of the headspace of these infested plants identified several terpene compounds. Two of the upregulated genes were heterologously expressed and their function analysed. It was determined that these two genes are responsible for production of two of the major terpenes detected in the head space. Further behavioural studies demonstrated the attractiveness of these two terpenes to female wasps, natural enemies of the cotton bollworm. The transcriptome of wheat infested with aphids was determined and several genes were shown to be upregulated. Two of these identified genes were shown to be involved in sesquiterpene biosynthesis and transformed into Arabidopsis. The subsequent transgenic Arabidopsis plants was repellent to peach aphids. This work demonstrates potentially useful tools for the defence of wheat crops from aphid pests. Future work will aim to extend this work to rice. |
Exploitation Route | This work could represent development of a new type of GM crop resistant to pests. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink |