Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Host plant preference of aphids, thrips and spider mites on GNA-expressing and control potatoes

  • Entomology
  • Published:
Phytoparasitica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effect of snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin: GNA) expression on host-plant preference was examined with a two-choice disc test. Discrimination between a transgenic potato [Solanum tuberosum (Solanaceae)] capable of synthesizing GNA, and an isogenic cultivar, was studied under laboratory conditions using the glasshouse potato aphidAulacorthum solani (Hemiptera: Aphididae), the onion thripThrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), and the two-spotted spider miteTetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae). Adults of these species were placed individually on leaf discs (one half transgenic and one half control) and observed 1, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after release, at which times also the distributions ofA. solani nymphs andT. urticae eggs on the discs were recorded. Aphids were found more frequently on control leaves at all observation periods, with the highest bias observed at 72 h (only 35.9% of all aphids were found on the GNA halves). Similarly, more aphid nymphs (57.6% of the total) were found on isogenic half-discs. The percentage of thrips found on GNA halves ranged from 36.8% to 48.4%, with significant control-potato bias at the first three observations. Contrary to this, the proportion ofT. urticae females found on GNA halves was significantly lower than the expected proportion (0.5) at 72 and 96 h, with a minimum of 34.0% on GNA. The distribution of spider mite eggs reflected the observed biased distribution of females (only 34.1% of all eggs were laid on GNA half-discs). These results indicate that potatoes expressing GNA for resistance against aphids are less preferred than an isogenic cultivar by all three tested species under a choice test condition using excised leaves.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bell, H.A., Fitches, E.C., Marris, G.C., Bell, J., Edwards, J.P., Gatehouse, J.A.et al. (2001) Transgenic GNA expressing potato plants augment the beneficial biocontrol ofLacanobia oleracea (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae) by the parasitoidEulophus pennicornis (Hymenoptera; Eulophidae).Transgenic Res. 10:35–42.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Birch, A.N.E., Geoghegan, I.E., Griffiths, D.W. and McNicol, J.W. (2002) The effect of genetic transformations for pest resistance on foliar solanidine-based glycoalkaloids of potato (Solanum tuberosum).Ann. Appl. Biol. 140:143–149.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Birch, A.N.E., Geoghegan, I.E., Majerus, M.E.N., McNicol, J.W., Hackett, C.A., Gatehouse, A.M.R.et al. (1999) Tri-trophic interactions involving pest aphids, predatory 2-spot ladybirds and transgenic potatoes expressing snowdrop lectin for aphid resistance.Mol. Breed. 5:75–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Chomczynski, P. and Sacchi, N. (1987) Single-step method for RNA isolation by acid guanidium-thiocyanate phenol-chloroform extraction.Anal. Biochem. 162:156–159.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Down, R.E., Ford, L., Bedford, S.J., Gatehouse, L.N., Newell, C., Gatehouse, J.A.et al. (2001) Influence of plant development and environment on transgene expression in potato and consequences for insect resistance.Transgenic Res. 10:223–236.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Down, R.E., Ford, L., Woodhouse, S.D., Davison, G.M., Majerus, M.E.N., Gatehouse, J.A.et al. (2003) Tritrophic interactions between transgenic potato expressing snowdrop lectin (GNA), an aphid pest (peach-potato aphid);Myzus persicae (Sulz.) and a beneficial predator (2-spot ladybird,Adalia bipunctata L.).Transgenic Res. 12:229–241.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Down, R.E., Gatehouse, A.M.R., Hamilton, W.D.O. and Gatehouse, J.A. (1996) Snowdrop lectin inhibits development and decreases fecundity of the glasshouse potato aphid (Aulacorthum solani) when administered in vitro and via transgenic plants both in laboratory and glasshouse trials.J. Insect Physiol. 42:1035–1045.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Egas, M., Norde, D.J. and Sabelis, M.W. (2003) Adaptive learning in arthropods: spider mites learn to distinguish food quality.Exp. Appl. Acarol. 30:233–247.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Egas, M. and Sabelis, M.W. (2001) Adaptive learning of host preference in a herbivorous arthropod.Ecol. Lett. 4:190–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Fitches, E., Gatehouse, A.M.R. and Gatehouse, J.A. (1997) Effects of snowdrop lectin (GNA) delivered via artificial diet and transgenic plants on the development of tomato mothLacanobia oleracea larvae in laboratory and glasshouse trials.J. Insect Physiol. 43:727–739.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Foissac, X., Loc, N.T., Christou, P., Gatehouse, A.M.R. and Gatehouse, J.A. (2000) Resistance to green leafhopper (Nephotettix virescens) and brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) in transgenic rice expressing snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin; GNA).J. Insect Physiol. 46:573–583.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Gatehouse, A.M.R., Davison, G.M., Newell, C.A., Merryweather, A., Hamilton, W.D.O., Burgess, E.P.J.et al. (1997) Transgenic potato plants with enhanced resistance to the tomato moth,Lacanobia oleracea: Growth room trials.Mol. Breed. 3:49–63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Gatehouse, A.M.R., Down, R.E., Powell, K.S., Sauvion, N., Rahbe, Y., Newell, C.A.et al. (1996) Transgenic potato plants with enhanced resistance to the peach-potato aphidMyzus persicae.Entomol. Exp. Appl. 79:295–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gatehouse, A.M.R., Powell, K.S., Van Damme, E.J.M., Peumans, W.J. and Gatehouse, J.A. (1995) Insecticidal properties of lectins: their potential in plant protection.in: Pusztai, A.J. and Bardocz, S. [Eds.] Biomedical Perspectives. Taylor & Francis, Hants, UK. pp. 35–57.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Griffiths, B.S., Geoghegan, I.E. and Robertson, W.M. (2000) Testing genetically engineered potato, producing the lectins GNA and Con A, on non-target soil organisms and processes.J. Appl. Ecol. 37:159–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Hilder, V.A., Powell, K.S., Gatehouse, A.M.R., Gatehouse, J.A., Gatehouse, L.N., Shi, Y.et al. (1995) Expression of snowdrop lectin in transgenic tobacco plants results in added protection against aphids.Transgenic Res. 4:18–25.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Liang, K.Y. and Zeger, S.L. (1986) Longitudinal data analysis using generalized linear models.Biometrika 73:13–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Maagd, R.A. de, Bravo, A. and Crickmore, N. (2001) HowBacillus thuringiensis has evolved specific toxins to colonize the insect world.Trends Genet. 17:193–199.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Manly, B.F.J. (1997) Randomization, Bootstrap and Monte Carlo Methods in Biology. 2nd ed. Chapman & Hall, London, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Nagadhara, D., Ramesh, S., Pasalu, I.C., Kondal, R.Y., Sarma, N.P., Reddy, V.D.et al. (2004) Transgenic rice plants expressing the snowdrop lectin gene (gna) exhibit high-level resistance to the whitebacked planthopper (Sogatella furcifera).Theor. Appl. Genet. 109:1399–1405.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Rao, K.V., Rathore, K.S., Hodges, T.K., Fu, X., Stoger, E., Sudhakar, D.et al. (1998) Expression of snowdrop lectin (GNA) in transgenic rice plants confers resistance to rice brown planthopper.Plant J. 15:469–477.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Romeis, J., Babendreier, D. and Wackers, F.L. (2003) Consumption of snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin) causes direct effects on adult parasitic wasps.Oecologia 134:528–536.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Rüdiger, H. and Gabius, H.J. (2001) Plant lectins: Occurrence, biochemistry, functions and applications.Glycoconj. J. 18:589–613.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. SAS Inst. (2000) The SAS System for Linux, release 8.2. SAS OnlineDoc, Version 8. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Saxena, D. and Stotzky, G. (2001) Bt corn has a higher lignin content than non-Bt corn.Am. J. Bot. 88:1704–1706.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Stoger, E., Williams, S., Christou, P., Down, R.E. and Gatehouse, J.A. (1999) Expression of the insecticidal lectin from snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin; GNA) in transgenic wheat plants: effects on predation by the grain aphidSitobion avenae.Mol. Breed. 5:65–73.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Tomczyk, A. and Kropczynska, D. (1985) Effects on the host plants.in: Helle, W. and Sabelis, M.W. [Eds.] Spider Mites, Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control. Vol. 1B, pp. 317–327. Elsevier, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Wilson, L.J. (1994) Plant-quality effect on life-history parameters of the 2-spotted spider-mite (Acari, Tetranychidae) on cotton.J. Econ. Entomol. 87:1665–1673.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Wu, A., Sun, X., Pang, Y. and Tang, K. (2002) Homozygous transgenic rice lines expressing GNA with enhanced resistance to the rice sap-sucking pestLaodelphax striatellus.Plant Breed. 121:93–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Wu, C.Y., Ye, Z.B., Li, H.X. and Tang, K.X. (2000) Genetic transformation of tomato with snowdrop lectin gene (GNA).Acta Bot. Sin. 42:719–723.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Gabriela Zemková Rovenská

  2. Inst. of Entomology, Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Gabriela Zemková Rovenská & Rostislav Zemek

Authors
  1. Gabriela Zemková Rovenská
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rostislav Zemek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rostislav Zemek.

Additional information

http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Feb. 16, 2006.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rovenská, G.Z., Zemek, R. Host plant preference of aphids, thrips and spider mites on GNA-expressing and control potatoes. Phytoparasitica 34, 139–148 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02981314

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02981314

Key words

Search

Navigation