A groundbreaking study has unearthed a new class of insecticidal proteins found in ferns, offering a promising avenue for plant-made protein pest control that could safeguard vital crop plants essential for global food production. This discovery, made by researchers at Corteva Agriscience, may represent a significant leap forward in the ongoing battle against insect pests that jeopardize food and fiber production.
Professor Marilyn Anderson, based at La Trobe University, described the significance of the findings, emphasizing their potential impact: “The structural analysis demonstrates that even though this protein is produced by plants, it has several features in common with known three-domain Cry proteins used extensively in agriculture for insect control. These proteins protect crops from damage by serious lepidopteran (caterpillar) pests.”
These newly identified proteins, known as IPD113, found in ferns such as the Pteris species (commonly known as “brake” and popular as houseplants), offer an alternative mode of action and a potential solution to the challenge of pest resistance to existing insecticidal methods.
Pest control in major global crops like corn, soybean, and cotton often relies on the use of transgenes from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to produce insecticidal proteins, providing protection against major insect pests. Concerns over the potential development of pest resistance to these proteins have fueled the search for alternative solutions.
The research study indicates that these novel insecticidal proteins from ferns, IPD113, exhibit remarkable effectiveness against six major lepidopteran (caterpillar) pests that afflict maize and soybeans. Furthermore, maize and soybean plants engineered to produce IPD113 proteins demonstrated heightened resistance to insect damage on leaves, stems, and ears, in comparison to control plants.
A notable revelation emerged from the crystal structure analysis of one of these proteins—it exhibited a surprising structural similarity to certain Bt insecticidal proteins, even though these fern-derived proteins originate from plants rather than bacteria. Intriguingly, these fern proteins lack a domain present in Bt proteins, a part typically associated with their effectiveness, but they still manage to deliver outstanding pest control results.
Perhaps the most remarkable finding is that these fern proteins demonstrated efficacy even against fall armyworms that had developed resistance to conventional Bt proteins.
This discovery opens new possibilities for more sustainable and effective pest control measures in agriculture, ensuring the security and productivity of global food production. It marks a significant step forward in addressing the ever-evolving challenges posed by insect pests, promising a brighter future for crop protection and food security.