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Isolation and Expression Profiling of Insecticidal Lectins from Wild Alliums Against Onion Thrips (Thrips tabaci Lindeman)

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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Lectins are important for plant defence against various insect and viral invasions. Allium species are rich source of lectins, but till date no lectin is reported to have insecticidal activity against the onion thrips. In the present study, wild Allium species were mined for potential lectins against onion thrips. The full-length lectin genes were amplified and cloned from four wild Allium species (A. hookeri, A. altaicum, A. fistulosum and A. angulosum) which is 534 bp in length. The ‘QXDXNXVXY’ motif responsible for recognition of alpha-D-mannose is present in all the sequences of lectin. The qPCR expression analysis of lectin genes showed that A. hookeri has fourfold more expression as compared to the onion (Allium cepa). The whole plant damage assay and detached leaf damage assay revealed that A. hookeri was resistant to Thrips tabaci. The per cent leaf area damage was lowest in A. hookeri, and further larval survival rate of T. tabaci was also least (61.46 ± 1.47%) when fed on A. hookeri. The overall development of T. tabaci was also found to be delayed on A. hookeri compared to other species. The present investigation will be helpful in developing interspecific crosses and transgenics for thrips control in onion.

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Acknowledgements

The first author greatly acknowledges the Savitribai Phule Pune University for providing post-doctoral fellowship (SPPU-PDF/ST/BL/2018/0003).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR-Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research, Rajgurunagar, Pune, 410505, India

    Kiran Khandagale, Praveen Roylawar, Pragati Randive, Vadivelu Karuppaiah, Parakkattu Sulochanan Soumia, Dhananjay Shirsat, Pranjali Gedam, Suresh Gawande & Major Singh

  2. Department of Botany, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India

    Kiran Khandagale & Avinash Ade

  3. S.N. Arts, D.J.M. Commerce, B.N.S Science College, Sangamner, Pune, India

    Praveen Roylawar

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  1. Kiran Khandagale
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  4. Vadivelu Karuppaiah
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Correspondence to Suresh Gawande.

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Significance statement

The present article describes the importance of insecticidal lectins for plant defence against various insects. Wild Allium species are rich source of lectins, and potential entomotoxic lectin genes against onion thrips were studied. In future, this work helps in management of important onion pest: onion thrips.

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Khandagale, K., Roylawar, P., Randive, P. et al. Isolation and Expression Profiling of Insecticidal Lectins from Wild Alliums Against Onion Thrips (Thrips tabaci Lindeman). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. 92, 451–459 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-022-01360-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-022-01360-4

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