title: Metabolomic plasticity in GM and non-GM potato leaves in response to aphid herbivory and virus infection.
abstract: An important aspect of ecological safety of genetically modified (GM) plants is the evaluation of unintended effects on plant-insect interactions. These interactions are to a large extent influenced by the chemical composition of plants. This study uses NMR-based metabolomics to establish a baseline of chemical variation to which differences between a GM potato line and its parent cultivar are compared. The effects of leaf age, virus infection, and aphid herbivory on plant metabolomes were studied. The metabolome of the GM line differed from its parent only in young leaves of noninfected plants. This effect was small when compared to the baseline. Consistently, aphid performance on excised leaves was influenced by leaf age, while no difference in performance was found between GM and non-GM plants. The metabolomic baseline approach is concluded to be a useful tool in ecological safety assessment.
authors.affiliation: Ecology and Phytochemistry, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands. plischke@biology.leidenuniv.nl
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plischke
authors.forename: Young Hae
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Brakefield
authors.forename: Peter G L
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Klinkhamer
authors.forename: Maaike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruinsma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000502:physiology*; D055432:Metabolomics; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000378:metabolism*; D017800:Potyvirus; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000378:metabolism*