Natural Insecticidal Proteins and Their Potential in Future IPM

Abstract

Increasing population and global food security is the foremost challenge for this century. Insect pests cause substantial damage to our crops by direct as well as indirect means such as vectoring plant viruses. Introduction of Bacillus thuringiensis originated toxins, namely, cry toxins, in the crop plants that showed significant resistance to insect damage during the early years (1990s). However, its societal unacceptability, nontarget effects, and the frequent development of resistance in target insects jeopardize Cry-toxin-mediated pest resistance. Alternatively, plant proteins with insecticidal activity hold great potential for future insect pest management strategies (IPM). Present chapter mainly deals with the ongoing advances in research on plant lectins. However, the entomotoxic potential of other plant proteins such as digestive inhibitors and plant peptides is also stated briefly. Further, future challenges and possibilities for developing sustainable pest management strategies are also discussed.

Keywords

Chitin; Entomotoxic protein; GM plants; IPM; Lectin; Plant peptide; Protease inhibitor; RNAi

Published in

Title: Plant-Pest Interactions: From Molecular Mechanisms to Chemical Ecology : Chemical Ecology
Publisher: Springer

SLU Authors

• Chakraborty, Amrita

  • Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2467-7_12
• ISBN: 978-981-15-2466-0
• eISBN: 978-981-15-2467-7

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/129793