A New Role for a Synaptotagmin Protein in Calcium-Dependent Exocytosis 英文参考文献.docVIP

Open access, freely available online Research Digest Synopses of Research Articles Nicotine Keeps Leaf-Loving Herbivores at Bay that are linked to the target gene and that might affect resistance as well. The tools of genetic engineering have largely overcome such limitations, allowing scientists far greater control and speci?city. Following this approach, Ian Baldwin and colleagues use transgenic silencing (which introduces gene“constructs”into an organism to inactivate a gene of interest) to investigate a single resistance trait, nicotine production. Even though nicotine is one of the best-studied putative resistance traits, its speci?c role has been unclear. with nonmutant cultivated plants,in southwestern Utah, N.attenuata’s native habitat.A subset of the plants was also treated with a chemical known to increase both nicotine content and resistance to herbivore attack.Predictably,several of the plant’s natural insect enemies made an appearance.Untreated nicotine-de?cient transgenic plants fared the worst,losing twice as much foliage to herbivores as nonmutant plants.Transgenic plants treated with the chemical boost performed much better,showing about the same amount of damage as the nonmutants.Interestingly,tobacco hornworms—which,as their name implies, feed primarily on tobacco—preferred nicotine-free plants when given the choice.Though the worms have evolved strategies for coping with nicotine’s deleterious effects,these adaptations come at a price:worms feeding on nicotine-de?cient tobacco grew bigger and faster than those feeding on plants with normal nicotine levels. These results clearly show that nicotine protects tobacco DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0020250 Sooner or later, a gardener looking for “nontoxic”ways to control the inevitable attack on a favorite plant will discover the nicotine remedy. Steep a cup of loose tobacco in a gallon of water, let it sit overnight, strain, and spray away. Caterpillars, aphids, and a diverse array of insects pred