Abstract
Key message
Taxadiene synthase, taxadiene-5α-hydroxylase, and taxane 13α-hydroxylase genes were introduced into Nicotiana benthamiana, and the improved resistance to lepidoptera pest fall armyworm was reported.
Abstract
Fall armyworm (FAW) is a serious agricultural pest. Genetic engineering techniques have been used to create pest-resistant plant varieties for reducing pest damage. Paclitaxel is a diterpenoid natural metabolite with antineoplastic effects in medicine. However, the effects of taxanes on the growth and development of lepidoptera pests, such as the FAW, are unknown. Here, selected paclitaxel precursor biosynthesis pathway genes, taxadiene synthase, taxane 5α-hydroxylase, and taxane 13α-hydroxylase, were engineered in the heterologous host Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Bioassay experiments showed that the transgenic N. benthamiana plants displayed improved resistance to FAW infestation, with degeneration of gut tissues and induced expression of apoptosis-related genes. Cytotoxicity experiment showed that the paclitaxel precursor, 10-deacetylbaccatin III, is cytotoxic to Sf9 cells, causing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and disorder of the cytoskeleton. Metabolome analysis showed that heterologous expression of taxane genes in N. benthamiana affected the digestive system, steroid hormone and purine metabolism pathways of FAW larvae. In summary, this study provides a candidate approach for FAW control.
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Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available in (Metabolights, https://www.ebi.ac.uk/metabolights/ [doi],reference number[MTBLS8724]).
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This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2020YFA0908004) and the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2020YFA0908000).
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FL, MR, and HM conceived and designed the project. ZX, YZ, HC, and DY performed experiments. ZX, HC, DY, PG, GR, WL, RW, LZ, and YY analyzed the data. ZX and HM wrote the manuscript, with contributions from all authors. WL and RW revised the paper. All authors reviewed and edited the manuscript.
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Xu, Z., Zhai, Y., Chang, H. et al. Heterologous expression of taxane genes confers resistance to fall armyworm in Nicotiana benthamiana. Plant Cell Rep 43, 94 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-024-03169-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-024-03169-z