A transgenic approach to control hemipteran insects by expressing insecticidal genes under phloem-specific promoters.

The first generation transgenic crops used strong constitutive promoters for transgene expression. However, tissue-specific expression is desirable for more precise targeting of transgenes. Moreover, piercing/sucking insects, which are generally resistant to insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins, have emerged as a major pests since the introduction of transgenic crops expressing these toxins. Phloem-specific promoters isolated from Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) were used for the expression of two insecticidal proteins, Hadronyche versuta (Blue Mountains funnel-web spider) neurotoxin (Hvt) and onion leaf lectin, in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Here we demonstrate that transgenic plants expressing Hvt alone or in combination with onion leaf lectin are resistant to Phenacoccus solenopsis (cotton mealybug), Myzus persicae (green peach aphids) and Bemisia tabaci (silver leaf whitefly). The expression of both proteins under different phloem-specific promoters resulted in close to 100% mortality and provided more rapid protection than Hvt alone. Our results suggest the employment of the Hvt and onion leaf lectin transgenic constructs at the commercial level will reduce the use of chemical pesticides for control of hemipteran insect pests.

A spider toxin, ω-agatoxin IV A, binds to fixed as well as living tissues: cytochemical visualization of P/Q-type calcium channels.

ω-Agatoxin IV A, a peptidyl toxin from Agelenopsis aperta venom, selectively binds to voltage-gated P/Q-type calcium channels. ω-Agatoxin IV A has been used as a selective tool in pharmacological and electrophysiological studies. Visualization of P/Q-type calcium channels has previously been accomplished using biotin-conjugated ω-Agatoxin IV A in freshly prepared mouse cerebellar and hippocampal slices (Nakanishi et al, J. Neurosci. Res., 41: , 532, 1995). Here biotinylated ω-agatoxin IV A was applied to transcardially fixed brain slices prepared with various fixatives. ω-Agatoxin IV A did not bind to fixed tissues from P/Q-type calcium channel knockout mice, confirming that binding to normal, fixed tissues was not an artifact. Using transmission electron microscopy, locations of biotinylated ω-agatoxin IV A binding sites visualized with gold-conjugated streptavidin showed a similar pattern to those visualized with antibody. The ability of biotinylated ω-agatoxin IV A to bind to fixed tissue provides a new cytochemical technique to study molecular architecture of synapses.

Agatoxin-like peptides in the neuroendocrine system of the honey bee and other insects.

We investigated the peptide inventory of the corpora cardiaca (CC) of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, by direct tissue profiling using MALDI-TOF MS combined with proteomic approaches focusing on cysteine-containing peptides. An agatoxin-like peptide (ALP) was identified as a component of the glandular part of the CC and was associated with the presence of the adipokinetic hormone in mass spectra. Although abundant in the CC, ALP does not belong to the toxins observed in the venom gland of A. mellifera. Homologs of ALP are highly conserved in major groups of arthropods and in line with this we detected ALP in the CC of non-venomous insects such as cockroaches and silverfish. In the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, ALP was also identified in the CNS and stomatogastric nervous system. This is the first report that establishes the presence of ALPs in the neuroendocrine tissues of insects and further studies are necessary to reveal common functions of these peptides, e.g. as antimicrobial agents, ion channel modulators or classical neuropeptides. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Among the messenger molecules of the nervous system, neuropeptides represent the structurally most diverse class and basically participate in the regulation of all physiological processes. The set of neuropeptides, their functions and spatial distribution are particularly well-studied in insects. Until now, however, several potential neuropeptide receptors remained orphan, which indicates the existence of so far unknown ligands. In our study, we used proteomic methods such as cysteine modification, enzymatic digestion and peptide derivatization, combined with direct tissue profiling by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, for the discovery of novel putative messenger molecules in the neuroendocrine system. The described presence of agatoxin-like peptides in the nervous system of the honey bee and other insects was overseen so far and is thus a remarkable addition to the very well studied neuropeptidome of insects. It is not yet clear, if these toxin-like peptides act as antimicrobial agents, ion channel modulators or classical neuropeptides.