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A transgenic approach for controlling Lygus in cotton

Author

Listed:
  • Anilkumar Gowda

    (Monsanto Company)

  • Timothy J. Rydel

    (Monsanto Company)

  • Andrew M. Wollacott

    (Monsanto Company
    Present address: Visterra Inc, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA)

  • Robert S. Brown

    (Monsanto Company)

  • Waseem Akbar

    (Monsanto Company)

  • Thomas L. Clark

    (Monsanto Company)

  • Stanislaw Flasinski

    (Monsanto Company)

  • Jeffrey R. Nageotte

    (Monsanto Company)

  • Andrew C. Read

    (Monsanto Company
    Present address: Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, 334 Plant Science, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA)

  • Xiaohong Shi

    (Monsanto Company)

  • Brent J. Werner

    (Monsanto Company)

  • Michael J. Pleau

    (Monsanto Company)

  • James A. Baum

    (Monsanto Company)

Abstract

Lygus species of plant-feeding insects have emerged as economically important pests of cotton in the United States. These species are not controlled by commercial Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton varieties resulting in economic losses and increased application of insecticide. Previously, a Bt crystal protein (Cry51Aa2) was reported with insecticidal activity against Lygus spp. However, transgenic cotton plants expressing this protein did not exhibit effective protection from Lygus feeding damage. Here we employ various optimization strategies, informed in part by protein crystallography and modelling, to identify limited amino-acid substitutions in Cry51Aa2 that increase insecticidal activity towards Lygus spp. by >200-fold. Transgenic cotton expressing the variant protein, Cry51Aa2.834_16, reduce populations of Lygus spp. up to 30-fold in whole-plant caged field trials. One transgenic event, designated MON88702, has been selected for further development of cotton varieties that could potentially reduce or eliminate insecticide application for control of Lygus and the associated environmental impacts.

Suggested Citation

  • Anilkumar Gowda & Timothy J. Rydel & Andrew M. Wollacott & Robert S. Brown & Waseem Akbar & Thomas L. Clark & Stanislaw Flasinski & Jeffrey R. Nageotte & Andrew C. Read & Xiaohong Shi & Brent J. Werne, 2016. "A transgenic approach for controlling Lygus in cotton," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-7, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms12213
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12213
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