Abstract

Background Using genetically modified plants as natural dispensers of insect pheromones may eventually become part of a novel strategy for integrated pest management. Results In the present study, we first characterized essential functional genes for sex pheromone biosynthesis in the rice stem borer Chilo suppressalis (Walker) by heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Nicotiana benthamiana, including two desaturase genes CsupYPAQ and CsupKPSE and a reductase gene CsupFAR2. Subsequently, we co-expressed CsupYPAQ and CsupFAR2 together with the previously characterized moth desaturase Atr increment 11 in N. benthamiana. This resulted in the production of (Z)-11-hexadecenol together with (Z)-11-hexadecenal, the major pheromone component of C. suppressalis. Both compounds were collected from the transformed N. benthamiana headspace volatiles using solid-phase microextraction. We finally added the expression of a yeast acetyltransferase gene ATF1 and could then confirm also (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate release from the plant. Conclusions Our results pave the way for stable transformation of plants to be used as biological pheromone sources in different pest control strategies.

Keywords

Functional characterization; Fatty acyl desaturases; Fatty acyl reductase; Alcohol oxidation; Acetyltransferase; Heterologous expression systems; Pheromone-releasing plants

Published in

BMC Biology
2022, Volume: 20, number: 1, article number: 80
Publisher: BMC

SLU Authors

• Hofvander, Per

  • Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

SLU Plant Protection Network


UKÄ Subject classification

Plant Biotechnology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-022-01281-8

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/116776