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The Bt gene cry2Aa2 driven by a tissue specific ST-LS1 promoter from potato effectively controls Heliothis virescens

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Abstract

Expression of the Cry2Aa2 protein was targeted specifically to the green tissues of transgenic tobacco Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi plants. This deployment was achieved by using the promoter region of the gene encoding the Solanum tuberosum leaf and stem specific (ST-LS1) protein. The accumulated levels of toxin in the leaves were found to be effective in achieving 100 mortality of Heliothis virescens larvae. The levels of Cry2Aa2 expression in the leaves of these transgenic plants were up to 0.21 of the total soluble proteins. Bioassays with R1 transgenic plants indicated the inheritance of cry2Aa2 in the progeny plants. Tissue-specific expression of the Bt toxin in transgenic plants may help in controlling the potential occurrence of insect resistance by limiting the amount of toxin to only predated tissues. The results reported here validate the use of the ST-LS1 gene promoter for a targeted expression of Bt toxins in green tissues of plants.

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Author notes

  1. Mojtaba Mohammadi

    Present address: Max-Planck-Institut für Zellbiologie, c/o BBA Schwabenheimer Str. 101, D-69221, Dossenheim, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Rd, K1H 8M5, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Mohsin Abbas Zaidi, Sandra Postel & Illimar Altosaar

  2. Department of Plant Pathology and Entomology, College of Agriculture, University of Tehran, 31587–11167, Karaj, Iran

    Mojtaba Mohammadi

  3. National Research Council of Canada, Biotechnology Research Institute, 6100 Royalmount Ave, H4P 2R2, Montreal, Que, Canada

    Luke Masson

Authors
  1. Mohsin Abbas Zaidi
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  2. Mojtaba Mohammadi
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  4. Luke Masson
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  5. Illimar Altosaar
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Correspondence to Illimar Altosaar.

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Zaidi, M.A., Mohammadi, M., Postel, S. et al. The Bt gene cry2Aa2 driven by a tissue specific ST-LS1 promoter from potato effectively controls Heliothis virescens. Transgenic Res 14, 289–298 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-004-7714-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-004-7714-3

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