Improved Carica papaya tolerance to carmine spider mite by the expression of Manduca sexta chitinase transgene

• Published in: Transgenic research Vol. 15; no. 3; pp. 337 - 347
• Main Authors: McCafferty, H.R.K, Moore, P.H, Zhu, Y.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.06.2006; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Araneae; biolistics; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Assay; Biotechnology; Carica - genetics; Carica papaya; Chitinase; Chitinases - genetics; Chitinases - metabolism; enzyme activity; field experimentation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gene expression; Genetic engineering; Genetic technics; Genetic Techniques; genetic transformation; Insecta; Kanamycin Kinase - genetics; Manduca - enzymology; Manduca sexta; messenger RNA; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Naphthaleneacetic Acids - pharmacology; papayas; pest resistance; Plant Diseases - genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified; Plasmids - metabolism; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Tetranychidae; Tetranychus cinnabarinus; Transgenes; Transgenic animals and transgenic plants; Transgenic plants; Trees; Chitinase; papaya; plant transformation; Enzyme; Insecta; Parasite; Tolerance; Caricaceae; plant parasitic mites; Sphingidae; Resistance; insect resistance; tobacco hornworm chitinase; Arthropoda; Dicotyledones; Glycosidases; Angiospermae; Lepidoptera; Manduca sexta; Hydrolases; Spermatophyta; Invertebrata; Carica papaya; O-Glycosidases
• ISSN: 0962-8819; 1573-9368
• DOI: 10.1007/s11248-006-0005-4

Papaya plants producing the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) chitinase protein were obtained following microprojectile bombardment of embryogenic calli derived from the hypocotyls of the cultivar Kapoho. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out to confirm the presence of the transgene. RT-PCR and a quantitative chitinase assay showed increased levels of chitinase activity in every selected transgenic line. Insect bioassays in the laboratory showed that plants expressing the Manduca sexta chitinase gene significantly inhibited multiplication of carmine spider mites (Tetranychus cinnabarinus Boisd.). Experiments conducted to evaluate reaction of the transgenic plants to natural infection by carmine spider mites showed that the Manduca sexta chitinase gene provided increased tolerance under field conditions.