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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #202701
Title: Expression of a synthetic Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxin to enhance resistance against fall armyworm in bahiagrass

Author
item LUCIANI, G. - AGRONOMY DEPT, UNIV OF FL
item YACTAYO-CHANG, J. - AGRONOMY DEPT, UNIV OF FL
item ALTPETER, F. - AGRONOMY DEPT, UNIV OF FL
item ZHANG, H. - AGRONOMY DEPT, UNIV OF FL
item GALLO, M. - AGRONOMY DEPT, UNIV OF FL
item Meagher, Robert - Rob
item WOFFORD, D. - AGRONOMY DEPT, UNIV OF FL

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/5/2006
Publication Date: 12/5/2006
Citation: Luciani, G., Yactayo-Chang, J., Altpeter, F., Zhang, H., Gallo, M., Meagher Jr, R.L., Wofford, D. 2006. Expression of a synthetic Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxin to enhance resistance against fall armyworm in bahiagrass. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bahiagrass is a low input, drought tolerant and disease resistant warm season turfgrass used for forage and turf in the southeastern U.S. and other subtropical regions of the world. Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) is a destructive migratory pest of many tropical and subtropical grasses including bahiagrass. The objective of this study was to improve the insect resistance of bahiagrass by constitutive expression of an optimized, synthetic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) endotoxin. A gene encoding a Bt endotoxin was sub-cloned under the control of the constitutive ubiquitin promoter. Co-transfer of constitutive nptII and Bt-toxin expression cassettes into seed derived callus cultures from turf-type, apomictic bahiagrass (cv. Argetine) was carried out by biolistic gene transfer. Transgenic nature of the regenerated plants was confirmed by PCR, Southern blot analysis, RT-PCR, and immunoassays. Data on initial screening for resistance of transgenic and wild-type bahiagrass leaves against laboratory-reared neonate larvae of fall armyworm will be presented.