The adaptation of herbivorous insects to their host plants is hypothesized to be intimately associated with their ubiquitous development of resistance to synthetic pesticides. However, not much is known about the mechanisms underlying the relationship between detoxification of plant toxins and synthetic pesticides. To address this knowledge gap, we used specialist pest Colorado potato beetle (C...

Traditional functional responses for plant-herbivore interactions do not take into account explicitly the effect of plant toxin. However, considerable evidence suggests that toxins set upper limits on food intake for many species of herbivorous vertebrates. In this paper, a mathematical model for plant-herbivore interactions mediated by toxin-determined functional response is studied. The model...

Ricin and abrin are two of the most potent plant toxins known and may be easily obtained in high yield from the seeds using rather simple technology. As a result, both toxins are potent and available toxins for criminal or terrorist acts. However, as the production of highly purified ricin or abrin requires sophisticated equipment and knowledge, it may be more likely that crude extracts would b...

Inactivity in nematodes is often correlated with survival of adverse environments. The non-feeding second-stage juvenile (J2) of Heterodera glycines must survive in a soil environment that may contain numerous toxins. In this report, we show that quiescent J2 of H. glycines survived higher concentrations of both ethanol and the plant-derived compound, allyl isothiocyanate, compared with activel...

Larvicidal proteins encoded by cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis were released in root exudates from transgenic B. thuringiensis corn, rice, and potato but not from B. thuringiensis canola, cotton, and tobacco. Nonsterile soil and sterile hydroponic solution in which B. thuringiensis corn, rice, or potato had been grown were immunologically positive for the presence of the Cry proteins; fro...

G. C. AINSWORTH, Introduction to the history ofplant pathology, Cambridge University Press, 1981, 8vo, pp. xii, 315, illus., £27.50. This well-produced and -illustrated book is, of course, primarily intended for those dealing specifically with botany or agriculture. Yet much of it will be of interest to doctors and medical historians, and the author himself notes the importance of interdiscipli...

One strategy for delaying evolution of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis crystal (Cry) endotoxins is the production of multiple Cry toxins in each transgenic plant (gene stacking). This strategy relies upon the assumption that simultaneous evolution of resistance to toxins that have different modes of action will be difficult for insect pests. In B. thuringiensis-transgenic (Bt) cotton, prod...

Plant and microbial toxins are considered bioterrorism threat agents because of their extreme toxicity and/or ease of availability. Additionally, some of these toxins are increasingly responsible for accidental food poisonings. The current study utilized an ELISA-based protein antibody microarray for the multiplexed detection of ten biothreat toxins, botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) A, B, C, D, E, ...

To delay resistance development to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) plants expressing their own insecticide, the application of the Insect Resistance Management strategy called "High Dose/Refuge Strategy" (HD/R) is recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). This strategy was developed for Bt plants expressing one toxin. Presently, however, new Bt plants that simultaneously expre...

G. C. AINSWORTH, Introduction to the history ofplant pathology, Cambridge University Press, 1981, 8vo, pp. xii, 315, illus., £27.50. This well-produced and -illustrated book is, of course, primarily intended for those dealing specifically with botany or agriculture. Yet much of it will be of interest to doctors and medical historians, and the author himself notes the importance of interdiscipli...