Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.
Genetic Engineering of Terpenoid Metabolism Attracts Bodyguards to Arabidopsis
Iris F. Kappers,1,2*
Asaph Aharoni,2,3*
Teun W. J. M. van Herpen,2
Ludo L. P. Luckerhoff,1,2
Marcel Dicke,1
Harro J. Bouwmeester2
Abstract:
Herbivore-damaged plants release complex mixtures of volatilesthat attract natural enemies of the herbivore. To study therelevance of individual components of these mixtures for predatorattraction, we manipulated herbivory-induced volatiles throughgenetic engineering. Metabolic engineering of terpenoids, whichdominate the composition of many induced plant volatile bouquets,holds particular promise. By switching the subcellular localizationof the introduced sesquiterpene synthase to the mitochondria,we obtained transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants emittingtwo new isoprenoids. These altered plants attracted carnivorouspredatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis) that aid the plants'defense mechanisms.
1 Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Post Office Box 8031, 6700 EH Wageningen, Netherlands. 2 Plant Research International, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Post Office Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, Netherlands. 3 Weizmann Institute of Science, Post Office Box 26, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
* These authors contributed equally to this work.
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: harro.bouwmeester{at}wur.nl
The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites:
Heterogeneity of the Mitochondrial Proteome for Photosynthetic and Non-photosynthetic Arabidopsis Metabolism.
C. P. Lee, H. Eubel, N. O'Toole, and A. H. Millar (2008)
Mol. Cell. Proteomics
7, 1297-1316
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Identification and Regulation of TPS04/GES, an Arabidopsis Geranyllinalool Synthase Catalyzing the First Step in the Formation of the Insect-Induced Volatile C16-Homoterpene TMTT.
M. Herde, K. Gartner, T. G. Kollner, B. Fode, W. Boland, J. Gershenzon, C. Gatz, and D. Tholl (2008)
PLANT CELL
20, 1152-1168
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Ecological Genomics of Plant-Insect Interactions: From Gene to Community.
S.-J. Zheng and M. Dicke (2008)
Plant Physiology
146, 812-817
|Full Text »|PDF »
Cowpea Chloroplastic ATP Synthase Is the Source of Multiple Plant Defense Elicitors during Insect Herbivory.
E. A. Schmelz, S. LeClere, M. J. Carroll, H. T. Alborn, and P. E.A. Teal (2007)
Plant Physiology
144, 793-805
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Expression of Plant Flavor Genes in Lactococcus lactis.
I. Hernandez, D. Molenaar, J. Beekwilder, H. Bouwmeester, and J. E. T. van Hylckama Vlieg (2007)
Appl. Envir. Microbiol.
73, 1544-1552
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Impairment of Cellulose Synthases Required for Arabidopsis Secondary Cell Wall Formation Enhances Disease Resistance.
C. Hernandez-Blanco, D. X. Feng, J. Hu, A. Sanchez-Vallet, L. Deslandes, F. Llorente, M. Berrocal-Lobo, H. Keller, X. Barlet, C. Sanchez-Rodriguez, et al. (2007)
PLANT CELL
19, 890-903
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Aphid alarm pheromone produced by transgenic plants affects aphid and parasitoid behavior.
M. H. Beale, M. A. Birkett, T. J. A. Bruce, K. Chamberlain, L. M. Field, A. K. Huttly, J. L. Martin, R. Parker, A. L. Phillips, J. A. Pickett, et al. (2006)
PNAS
103, 10509-10513
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Fragments of ATP synthase mediate plant perception of insect attack.
E. A. Schmelz, M. J. Carroll, S. LeClere, S. M. Phipps, J. Meredith, P. S. Chourey, H. T. Alborn, and P. E. A. Teal (2006)
PNAS
103, 8894-8899
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
The products of a single maize sesquiterpene synthase form a volatile defense signal that attracts natural enemies of maize herbivores.
C. Schnee, T. G. Kollner, M. Held, T. C. J. Turlings, J. Gershenzon, and J. Degenhardt (2006)
PNAS
103, 1129-1134
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: 
