Evaluation of transgenic approaches for controlling tuber moth in potatoes

A wide spectrum of strategies to genetically engineer potato plants resistant to potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), have been investigated. The potato cv Iwa was transformed with a range of genes under the transcriptional control of the CaMV 35S promoter using Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer. The transferred genes encode protease inhibitors (spleen inhibitor and alpha1-antitrypsin inhibitor), biotin-binding proteins (avidin and streptavidin) and Cry proteins (crylAc9, cry1Ba1, crylCa5 and cry9Aa2). Of these three transgenic approaches, cry genes have proved the most useful. In order to control the expression of the cry genes in foliage and not in the tubers a light-inducible Lhca3 promoter from potato was also used. The interaction of different cry genes was investigated using an experimental approach to simulate gene pyramiding in potato. Potato plants transgenic for both the crylAc9 and cryAa2 genes were developed and evaluated to help provide a more durable resistance to potato tuber moth.