Novel insecticidal proteins from ferns resemble insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis.

Lepidopterans affect crop production worldwide. The use of transgenes encoding insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in crop plants is a well-established technology that enhances protection against lepidopteran larvae. Concern about widespread field-evolved resistance to Bt proteins has highlighted an urgent need for new insecticidal proteins with different modes or sites of action. We discovered a new family of insecticidal proteins from ferns. The prototype protein from Pteris species (Order Polypodiales) and variants from two other orders of ferns, Schizaeales and Ophioglossales, were effective against important lepidopteran pests of maize and soybean in diet-based assays. Transgenic maize and soybean plants producing these proteins were more resistant to insect damage than controls. We report here the crystal structure of a variant of the prototype protein to 1.98 Å resolution. Remarkably, despite being derived from plants, the structure resembles the 3-domain Cry proteins from Bt but has only two out of three of their characteristic domains, lacking the C-terminal domain which is typically required for their activities. Two of the fern proteins were effective against strains of fall armyworm that were resistant to Bt 3-domain Cry proteins Cry1Fa or Cry2A.127. This therefore represents a novel family of insecticidal proteins that have the potential to provide future tools for pest control.

Genetic Control and Evolution of Anthocyanin Methylation.

Anthocyanins are a chemically diverse class of secondary metabolites that color most flowers and fruits. They consist of three aromatic rings that can be substituted with hydroxyl, sugar, acyl, and methyl groups in a variety of patterns depending on the plant species. To understand how such chemical diversity evolved, we isolated and characterized METHYLATION AT THREE2 (MT2) and the two METHYLATION AT FIVE (MF) loci from Petunia spp., which direct anthocyanin methylation in petals. The proteins encoded by MT2 and the duplicated MF1 and MF2 genes and a putative grape (Vitis vinifera) homolog Anthocyanin O-Methyltransferase1 (VvAOMT1) are highly similar to and apparently evolved from caffeoyl-Coenzyme A O-methyltransferases by relatively small alterations in the active site. Transgenic experiments showed that the Petunia spp. and grape enzymes have remarkably different substrate specificities, which explains part of the structural anthocyanin diversity in both species. Most strikingly, VvAOMT1 expression resulted in the accumulation of novel anthocyanins that are normally not found in Petunia spp., revealing how alterations in the last reaction can reshuffle the pathway and affect (normally) preceding decoration steps in an unanticipated way. Our data show how variations in gene expression patterns, loss-of-function mutations, and alterations in substrate specificities all contributed to the anthocyanins' structural diversity.

Violet/blue chrysanthemums--metabolic engineering of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway results in novel petal colors.

Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum×morifolium Ramat.) are an important cut-flower and potted plant crop in the horticultural industry world wide. Chrysanthemums express the flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase (F3'H) gene and thus accumulate anthocyanins derived from cyanidin in their inflorescences which appear pink/red. Delphinidin-based anthocyanins are lacking due to the deficiency of a flavonoid 3', 5'-hydroxylase (F3'5'H), and so violet/blue chrysanthemum flower colors are not found. In this study, together with optimization of transgene expression and selection of the host cultivars and gene source, F3'5'H genes have been successfully utilized to produce transgenic bluish chrysanthemums that accumulate delphinidin-based anthocyanins. HPLC analysis and feeding experiments with a delphinidin precursor identified 16 cultivars of chrysanthemums out of 75 that were predicted to turn bluish upon delphinidin accumulation. A selection of eight cultivars were successfully transformed with F3'5'H genes under the control of different promoters. A pansy F3'5'H gene under the control of a chalcone synthase promoter fragment from rose resulted in the effective diversion of the anthocyanin pathway to produce delphinidin in transgenic chrysanthemum flower petals. The resultant petal color was bluish, with 40% of total anthocyanidins attributed to delphinidin. Increased delphinidin levels (up to 80%) were further achieved by hairpin RNA interference-mediated silencing of the endogenous F3'H gene. The resulting petal colors were novel bluish hues, not possible by hybridization breeding. This is the first report of the production of anthocyanins derived from delphinidin in chrysanthemum petals leading to novel flower color.

Genetic modification in floriculture.

Micro-propagation, embryo rescue, mutagenesis via chemical or irradiation means and in vitro inter-specific hybridisation methods have been used by breeders in the floriculture industry for many years. In the past 20 years these enabling technologies have been supplemented by genetic modification methods. Though many genes of potential utility to the floricultural industry have been identified, and much has been learnt of the genetic factors and molecular mechanisms underlying phenotypes of great importance to the industry, there are only flower colour modified varieties of carnation and rose in the marketplace. To a large extent this is due to unique financial barriers to market entry for genetically modified varieties of flower crops, including use of technology fees and costs of regulatory approval.

Flower color modification by engineering of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway: practical perspectives.

The status quo of flavonoid biosynthesis as it relates to flower color is reviewed together with a success in modifying flower color by genetic engineering. Flavonoids and their colored class compounds, anthocyanins, are major contributors to flower color. Many plant species synthesize limited kinds of flavonoids, and thus exhibit a limited range of flower color. Since genes regulating flavonoid biosynthesis are available, it is possible to alter flower color by overexpressing heterologous genes and/or down regulating endogenous genes. Transgenic carnations and a transgenic rose that accumulate delphinidin as a result of expressing a flavonoid 3',5'-hydroxylase gene and have novel blue hued flowers have been commercialized. Transgenic Nierembergia accumulating pelargonidin, with novel pink flowers, has also been developed. Although it is possible to generate white, yellow, and pink-flowered torenia plants from blue cultivars by genetic engineering, field trial observations indicate difficulty in obtaining stable phenotypes.

Recent progress of flower colour modification by biotechnology.

Genetically-modified, colour-altered varieties of the important cut-flower crop carnation have now been commercially available for nearly ten years. In this review we describe the manipulation of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway that has lead to the development of these varieties and how similar manipulations have been successfully applied to both pot plants and another cut-flower species, the rose. From this experience it is clear that down- and up-regulation of the flavonoid and anthocyanin pathway is both possible and predictable. The major commercial benefit of the application of this technology has so far been the development of novel flower colours through the development of transgenic varieties that produce, uniquely for the target species, anthocyanins derived from delphinidin. These anthocyanins are ubiquitous in nature, and occur in both ornamental plants and common food plants. Through the extensive regulatory approval processes that must occur for the commercialization of genetically modified organisms, we have accumulated considerable experimental and trial data to show the accumulation of delphinidin based anthocyanins in the transgenic plants poses no environmental or health risk.

Flower colour and cytochromes P450.

Cytochromes P450 play important roles in biosynthesis of flavonoids and their coloured class of compounds, anthocyanins, both of which are major floral pigments. The number of hydroxyl groups on the B-ring of anthocyanidins (the chromophores and precursors of anthocyanins) impact the anthocyanin colour, the more the bluer. The hydroxylation pattern is determined by two cytochromes P450, flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase (F3'H) and flavonoid 3',5'-hydroxylase (F3'5'H) and thus they play a crucial role in the determination of flower colour. F3'H and F3'5'H mostly belong to CYP75B and CYP75A, respectively, except for the F3'5'Hs in Compositae that were derived from gene duplication of CYP75B and neofunctionalization. Roses and carnations lack blue/violet flower colours owing to the deficiency of F3'5'H and therefore lack the B-ring-trihydroxylated anthocyanins based upon delphinidin. Successful redirection of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway to delphinidin was achieved by expressing F3'5'H coding regions resulting in carnations and roses with novel blue hues that have been commercialized. Suppression of F3'5'H and F3'H in delphinidin-producing plants reduced the number of hydroxyl groups on the anthocyanidin B-ring resulting in the production of monohydroxylated anthocyanins based on pelargonidin with a shift in flower colour to orange/red. Pelargonidin biosynthesis is enhanced by additional expression of a dihydroflavonol 4-reductase that can use the monohydroxylated dihydrokaempferol (the pelargonidin precursor). Flavone synthase II (FNSII)-catalysing flavone biosynthesis from flavanones is also a P450 (CYP93B) and contributes to flower colour, because flavones act as co-pigments to anthocyanins and can cause blueing and darkening of colour. However, transgenic plants expression of a FNSII gene yielded paler flowers owing to a reduction of anthocyanins because flavanones are precursors of anthocyanins and flavones.

Engineering of the rose flavonoid biosynthetic pathway successfully generated blue-hued flowers accumulating delphinidin.

Flower color is mainly determined by anthocyanins. Rosa hybrida lacks violet to blue flower varieties due to the absence of delphinidin-based anthocyanins, usually the major constituents of violet and blue flowers, because roses do not possess flavonoid 3',5'-hydoxylase (F3'5'H), a key enzyme for delphinidin biosynthesis. Other factors such as the presence of co-pigments and the vacuolar pH also affect flower color. We analyzed the flavonoid composition of hundreds of rose cultivars and measured the pH of their petal juice in order to select hosts of genetic transformation that would be suitable for the exclusive accumulation of delphinidin and the resulting color change toward blue. Expression of the viola F3'5'H gene in some of the selected cultivars resulted in the accumulation of a high percentage of delphinidin (up to 95%) and a novel bluish flower color. For more exclusive and dominant accumulation of delphinidin irrespective of the hosts, we down-regulated the endogenous dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) gene and overexpressed the Irisxhollandica DFR gene in addition to the viola F3'5'H gene in a rose cultivar. The resultant roses exclusively accumulated delphinidin in the petals, and the flowers had blue hues not achieved by hybridization breeding. Moreover, the ability for exclusive accumulation of delphinidin was inherited by the next generations.

Isolation and properties of floral defensins from ornamental tobacco and petunia.

The flowers of the solanaceous plants ornamental tobacco (Nicotiana alata) and petunia (Petunia hybrida) produce high levels of defensins during the early stages of development. In contrast to the well-described seed defensins, these floral defensins are produced as precursors with C-terminal prodomains of 27 to 33 amino acids in addition to a typical secretion signal peptide and central defensin domain of 47 or 49 amino acids. Defensins isolated from N. alata and petunia flowers lack the C-terminal domain, suggesting that it is removed during or after transit through the secretory pathway. Immunogold electron microscopy has been used to demonstrate that the N. alata defensin is deposited in the vacuole. In addition to the eight canonical cysteine residues that define the plant defensin family, the two petunia defensins have an extra pair of cysteines that form a fifth disulfide bond and hence define a new subclass of this family of proteins. Expression of the N. alata defensin NaD1 is predominantly flower specific and is most active during the early stages of flower development. NaD1 transcripts accumulate in the outermost cell layers of petals, sepals, anthers, and styles, consistent with a role in protection of the reproductive organs against potential pathogens. The floral defensins inhibit the growth of Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum in vitro, providing further support for a role in protection of floral tissues against pathogen invasion.