| Title |
Spider Venom Toxin Protects Plants from Insect Attack
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Transgenic Research, June 2006
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s11248-006-0007-2 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Sher Afzal Khan, Yusuf Zafar, Rob W. Briddon, Kauser Abdulla Malik, Zahid Mukhtar |
| Abstract |
Many of the toxin proteins, that have been heterogeneously expressed in agricultural crops to provide resistance to insect pests, are too specific or are only mildly effective against the major insect pests. Spider venoms are a complex cocktail of toxins that have evolved specifically to kill insects. Here we show that the omega-ACTX-Hv1a toxin (Hvt), a component of the venom of the Australian funnel web spider (Hadronyche versuta) that is a calcium channel antagonist, retains its biological activity when expressed in a heterologous system. Expressed as a fusion protein in E. coli, the purified toxin fusion immobilized and killed Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera littoralis caterpillars when applied topically. Transgenic expression of Hvt in tobacco effectively protected the plants from H. armigera and S. littoralis larvae, with 100% mortality within 48 h. We conclude that the Hvt is an attractive and effective molecule for the transgenic protection of plants from herbivorous insects which should be evaluated further for possible application in agriculture. |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 93 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2 | 2% |
| Chile | 1 | 1% |
| France | 1 | 1% |
| Egypt | 1 | 1% |
| Unknown | 88 | 95% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 26 | 28% |
| Researcher | 16 | 17% |
| Other | 8 | 9% |
| Student > Master | 8 | 9% |
| Student > Bachelor | 6 | 6% |
| Other | 16 | 17% |
| Unknown | 13 | 14% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 47 | 51% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 10 | 11% |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3 | 3% |
| Social Sciences | 2 | 2% |
| Immunology and Microbiology | 2 | 2% |
| Other | 9 | 10% |
| Unknown | 20 | 22% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 19. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 28 September 2023.
All research outputs
#1,680,226
of 23,420,064 outputs
Outputs from Transgenic Research
#38
of 904 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#2,778
of 65,499 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Transgenic Research
#2
of 12 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 23,420,064 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 92nd percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 904 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 5.7. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 95% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 65,499 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 95% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 12 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 83% of its contemporaries.