title: Aphid alarm pheromone produced by transgenic plants affects aphid and parasitoid behavior.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Beale
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Birkett
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Toby J A
authors.initials: TJA
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chamberlain
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Field
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alison K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Huttly
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Janet L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom john.pickett@bbsrc.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pickett
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Prosser
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Shewry
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lesley E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Smart
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lester J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wadhams
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Woodcock
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Yuhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones