Plant & Animal Genomes XI Conference

January 11-15, 2003
Town & Country Convention Center
San Diego, CA

Poster: Genome Sequencing & ESTs
            

ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BRASSICA NAPUS ESTS RELATED TO FLEA BEETLE FEEDING.

Saskatoon Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 107 Science Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7J 2R5, Canada

The crucifer flea beetle Phyllotreta cruciferae is a specialist insect that voraciously attacks Brassica napus seedings in canola fields. The model crucifer plant Arabidopsis thaliani also is readily fed upon by flea beetles. We have been investigating the molecular basis of these interactions as well as the potential for enhancing weak defense responses in B. napus. One strategy has been to isolate a library of B. napus leaf ESTs responsive to flea beetle feeding. We are now defining the function of several of these ESTs by introducing the full-length genes into Arabidopsis and B. napus. One gene is a member of the NAC transcription factor family that generates larger plants and more vigorous roots when over-expressed in Arabidopsis. Genes with potential to control volatile production have also been isolated, including a terpene synthase (bntps) and a linalool synthase (bnls). Flea beetle antennae respond strongly to minute low-boiling volatiles released from Arabidopsis and Brassica napus seedlings, and their feeding pattern may depend on these compounds and their genes. Additional flea beetle-related ESTs of interest include genes that govern the pattern of glucosinolate breakdown, putative transcription factors and a suite of genes with unknown functions.