title: Does lignin modification affect feeding preference or growth performance of insect herbivores in transgenic silver birch (Betula pendula Roth)?
abstract: Transgenic silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) lines were produced in order to modify lignin biosynthesis. These lines carry COMT (caffeate/5-hydroxyferulate O-methyltransferase) gene from Populus tremuloides driven by constitutive promoter 35S CaMV (cauliflower mosaic virus) or UbB1 (ubiquitin promoter from sunflower). The decreased syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio was found in stem and leaf lignin of 35S CaMV-PtCOMT transgenic silver birch lines when compared to non-transformed control or UbB1-PtCOMT lines. In controlled feeding experiments the leaves of transgenic birch lines as well as controls were fed to insect herbivores common in boreal environment, i.e., larvae of Aethalura punctulata, Cleora cinctaria and Trichopteryx carpinata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) as well as the adults of birch leaf-feeding beetles Agelastica alni (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and Phyllobius spp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The feeding preferences of these herbivores differed in some cases among the tested birch lines, but these differences could not be directly associated to lignin modification. They could as well be explained by other characteristics of leaves, either natural or caused by transgene site effects. Growth performance of lepidopteran larvae fed on transgenic or control leaves did not differ significantly.
authors.affiliation: Finnish Forest Research Institute, Punkaharju Research Station, Finlandiantie 18, 58450, Punkaharju, Finland. heidi.tiimonen@metla.fi
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tiimonen
authors.forename: Tuija
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aronen
authors.forename: Tapio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laakso
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saranpää
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ylioja
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Roininen
authors.forename: Hely
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Häggman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029662:Betula / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D017343:Genes, Plant; D007313:Insecta / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D008031:Lignin / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008031:Lignin