Johnson Eric T, Dowd Patrick F, Hughes Stephen R
Crop Bioprotection Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, USDA ARS, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL, 61604, USA,
Biotechnol Lett. 2014 Aug;36(8):1735-42. doi: 10.1007/s10529-014-1536-z. Epub 2014 Apr 26.
Lycotoxin I, from the wolf spider (Lycosa carolinensis), is an amphipathic pore-forming peptide that has antimicrobial and anti-insect activity. Constitutive expression of a lycotoxin I modified for oral toxicity to insects in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) conferred significantly enhanced resistance to larvae of the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) and cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne). Gene expression levels of modified lycotoxin I were negatively correlated to the survival of corn earworm larvae. In addition, pathogenic symptoms caused by Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tabaci and Alternaria alternata on the modified lycotoxin I-expressing leaves were significantly less severe than on wild type leaves. These results indicate that modified lycotoxin I expression in tobacco can potentially protect leaf tissue from a broad spectrum of pests and pathogens.
来自狼蛛（卡罗莱纳狼蛛）的狼蛛毒素I是一种具有两亲性、能形成孔道的肽，具有抗菌和抗昆虫活性。在烟草（烟草）中组成型表达对昆虫具有口服毒性的修饰狼蛛毒素I，可显著增强对玉米穗虫（棉铃虫）和烟草甲（烟草甲）幼虫的抗性。修饰狼蛛毒素I的基因表达水平与玉米穗虫幼虫的存活率呈负相关。此外，在表达修饰狼蛛毒素I的叶片上，丁香假单胞菌烟草致病变种和链格孢引起的致病症状明显比野生型叶片轻。这些结果表明，在烟草中表达修饰狼蛛毒素I有可能保护叶片组织免受广泛的害虫和病原体侵害。
