Potato expressing Cry1C and Cry2A confers resistance to Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

As the third most important global food crop, potato plays a vital role in ensuring food security and poverty alleviation. However, its production is severely threatened by the potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella; PTM), a destructive pest that damages foliage during growth and bores into tubers during storage, causing yield losses of 85-100% under severe infestations. Traditional reliance on chemical pesticides poses challenges such as environmental pollution, pesticide residues, and increased production costs, highlighting the need for sustainable alternatives.

In this study, Cry1C and Cry2A genes were expressed in potato cultivar E3 via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, generating single-copy transgenic lines with high gene expression. Bioassays showed that PTM larvae feeding on transgenic leaves exhibited significantly elevated mortality (>35.4%), with the Cry1C-2 line achieving 60.4% mortality within 24 h. Notably, the highest-expressing Cry1C and Cry2A transgenic lines caused 100% larval mortality within 4 and 7 days, respectively, demonstrating complete lethality against PTM. Histological analysis confirmed that Bt proteins induced midgut epithelial cell lysis and peritrophic membrane disruption, directly leading to insect death.

This study is the first to demonstrate that Cry2A expression in potato confers resistance to PTM. It provides novel genetic resources for insect-resistant potato breeding and proposes a gene pyramiding strategy to delay the onset of resistance evolution in pest populations. Future research should focus on evaluating field resistance durability and investigating potential synergistic effects between Cry1C/Cry2A and other Bt proteins to develop multi-target pest management systems. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.