7: Structure-function of novel western corn rootworm-active proteins

Thursday, November 19, 2020

11:25 AM - 11:40 AM EST

Presenting Author(s)

Mark E. Nelson

Corteva Agriscience
Johnston, Iowa

Co-Author(s)

BP

Brad Poland

Corteva Agriscience
Johnston, Iowa
HP

Heather Pence

Corteva Agriscience
Indianapolis, Indiana
AB

Andrew Bowling

Corteva Agriscience
Indianapolis, Indiana
EN

Eswar Narayanan

Corteva Agriscience
Johnston, Iowa
AL

Albert Lu

Corteva Agriscience
Johnston, Iowa

Western corn rootworm (WCR, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) is a major pest of corn in North America. Damage caused by WCR has the potential to cost U.S. growers billions of dollars in yield loss annually if not controlled. Current commercial traits based on proteins expressed by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacteria have been an important tool available to farmers to protect yield, but reports of field resistance to these traits highlight the need for traits based on new modes of action. Corteva Agriscience^tm has pursued multiple strategies including screening of non-Bt sources for proteins that have potential for development into insect resistance traits. These efforts identified several proteins that are highly efficacious in protecting roots from WCR damage when expressed in transgenic plants. This talk will be focused on the structures and mode of action of these proteins. The results show that these proteins represent novel modes of action compared to current commercial traits. Furthermore, each of these proteins selectively targets and kills epithelial cells lining the gut resulting in larval death. Non-Bt organisms represent a rich source of actives for the development of future insect resistance traits.