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Entomotoxic Plant Proteins: Potential Molecules to Develop Genetically Modified Plants Resistant to Insect-Pests

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Plant Toxins

Part of the book series: Toxinology ((TOXI))

Abstract

Insect-pests are detrimental to several crops worldwide and cause significant economic losses in global agriculture. The effective control of insect-pests in agriculture demands different strategies, which vary from preventive cultural practices, mechanical control, chemical control, biological control, and the use of resistant plant varieties. When there is no natural plant genotype genetically resistant to insect-pests, development of genetically modified (GM) resistant plants is an option. The expression of bacterial Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) entomotoxins in GM plants has been successfully applied in field conditions over the past few decades. Nevertheless, there are alternative entomotoxic proteins from plant sources, which may be synergistically used in the GM plant Bt strategy for the control of insect-pests. This review presents the biochemical properties and mechanisms of action of the most commonly described plant protein entomotoxins, including lectins, enzymes (ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), ureases and urease-derived encrypted peptides, chitinases and proteases/peptidases/proteinases), inhibitors of insect digestive enzymes (protease inhibitors and α-amylase inhibitors), and peptides (defensins and cyclotides). In addition, this review discusses the potential application of plant entomotoxic proteins to develop durable control of insect-pests via GM plant strategies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, PqEB Av. W5 Norte (final), 02372, Brasília, DF, Brazil

    Maria Fátima Grossi-de-Sá & Marilia S. Silva

  2. Program for Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology, Catholic University of Brasilia, SGAN 916 Módulo B Av. W5, Brasília, DF, Brazil

    Maria Fátima Grossi-de-Sá

  3. Diagene Molecular Diagnosis, QS 07 lt 01 EPCT, Bl. Q sala 111, Águas Claras, DF, Brazil

    Patrícia B. Pelegrini

  4. Laboratory of Plant Toxins, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Campus Pici, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil

    Ilka M. Vasconcelos

  5. Instituto do Cérebro, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 6690, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90610-000, Brazil

    Célia Regina Carlini

  6. Centro de Biotecnologia e Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga 6690, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90610-000, Brazil

    Célia Regina Carlini

Authors
  1. Maria Fátima Grossi-de-Sá
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  2. Patrícia B. Pelegrini
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  3. Ilka M. Vasconcelos
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  4. Célia Regina Carlini
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  5. Marilia S. Silva
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Maria Fátima Grossi-de-Sá or Marilia S. Silva .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto do Cérebro, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Célia Regina Carlini

  2. Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Su, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Rodrigo Ligabue-Braun

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Grossi-de-Sá, M.F., Pelegrini, P.B., Vasconcelos, I.M., Carlini, C.R., Silva, M.S. (2017). Entomotoxic Plant Proteins: Potential Molecules to Develop Genetically Modified Plants Resistant to Insect-Pests. In: Carlini, C., Ligabue-Braun, R. (eds) Plant Toxins. Toxinology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6464-4_13

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