Aphid alarm pheromone produced by transgenic plants affects aphid and parasitoid behavior.
The alarm pheromone for many species of aphids, which causes dispersion in response to attack by predators or parasitoids, consists of the sesquiterpene (E)-beta-farnesene (Ebetaf). We used high levels of expression in Arabidopsis thaliana plants of an Ebetaf synthase gene cloned from Mentha x piperita to cause emission of pure Ebetaf. These plants elicited potent effects on behavior of the aphid Myzus persicae (alarm and repellent responses) and its parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae (an arrestant response). Here, we report the transformation of a plant to produce an insect pheromone and demonstrate that the resulting emission affects behavioral responses at two trophic levels.
Beale
Michael H
MH
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Birkett
Michael A
MA
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Bruce
Toby J A
TJA
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Chamberlain
Keith
K
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Field
Linda M
LM
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Huttly
Alison K
AK
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Martin
Janet L
JL
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Parker
Rachel
R
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Phillips
Andrew L
AL
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Pickett
John A
JA
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom john.pickett@bbsrc.ac.uk.
Prosser
Ian M
IM
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Shewry
Peter R
PR
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Smart
Lesley E
LE
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Wadhams
Lester J
LJ
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Woodcock
Christine M
CM
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
Zhang
Yuhua
Y
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000502:physiology*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D007300:Insect Control; D010675:Pheromones / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified
D010675:Pheromones