title: Expression of soybean lectin in transgenic tobacco results in enhanced resistance to pathogens and pests.
abstract: Lectins are proteins of non-immune origin that specifically interact with carbohydrates, known to play important roles in the defense system of plants. In this study, in order to study the function of a new soybean lectin (SBL), the corresponding encoding gene lec-s was introduced into tobacco plants via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Southern blot analyses had revealed that the lec-s gene was stable integrated into the chromosome of the tobacco. The results of the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) also indicated that the lec-s gene in the transgenic tobacco plants could be expressed under the control of the constitutive CaMV35S promoter. Evaluation agronomic of the performance had showed that the transgenic plants could resist to the infection of Phytophthora nicotianae. Insect bioassays using detached leaves from transgenic tobacco plants demonstrated that the ectopically expressed SBL significantly (P.0.05) reduced the weight gain of larvae of the beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua). Further on, the lectins retarded the development of the larvae and their metamorphosis. These findings suggest that soybean lectins have potential as a protective agent against pathogens and insect pests through a transgenic approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Peipei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yongli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Huijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xuewen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060467:Disease Resistance; D007814:Larva; D010838:Phytophthora / Q000502:physiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D036226:Seedlings / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins
chemical_list: D037121:Plant Lectins; D030262:Soybean Proteins; C028824:soybean lectin; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins
keywords: Phytophthora nicotianae; Resistance; Soybean lectin; Spodoptera exigua; Transgenic tobacco plant