BLGY1211 Nematology
Mark Lynas
“My lords, ladies and gentlemen. I want to start with some apologies, which I believe
are most appropriate to this audience. For the record, here and upfront, I apologies
for having spent several years ripping up GM crops. I’m also sorry that I helped to
start the anti-GM movement back in the mid-1990s and that I thereby assisted in
demonizing an important technological option which can be used to benefit the
environment. As an environmentalist, and someone who believes that everyone in
this world has a right to a healthy and nutritious diet of their choosing, I could not
have chosen a more counter-productive path. I now regret it completely”
Pathogen status
Potato cyst nematodes (Globodera) occur in 64% of the potato fields in England
Losses of >£3 billion per annum to potato industry
Reduce plant vigour, yellowing of the leaves fewer and smaller tubers
Difficulties in controlling potato cyst nematode
Rotation; if used alone requires 6 or more years
Nematicides; reduce rotation durations, largest variable cost for many growers,
several withdrawn e.g. aldicarb
Resistant cultivars; full quantitative resistance to G. rostochiensis (Maris Piper),
partial mutagenic resistance to G. pallida, sante vale Everest, nematode virulence,
need for other agronomy preferred qualities
Life cycle
Inhibition of cysteine proteinases
Cysteine proteinase activity important for protein digestion by many plant parasitic
nematodes
Cysteine proteinase inhibitors termed cystatins cystatins used for novel resistance
considered biosafe for a number of reasons
Transgenic expression of a cystatin disrupts nematode protein digestion
Characterizing the nature of the inhibition
Correlate inhibition of proteolytic activity to uptake of the cystatin
Isolate genes encoding the proteinases
Analysis of expression patterns
Blocking digestive proteinases prevents growth of cyst nematodes
Mark Lynas
“My lords, ladies and gentlemen. I want to start with some apologies, which I believe
are most appropriate to this audience. For the record, here and upfront, I apologies
for having spent several years ripping up GM crops. I’m also sorry that I helped to
start the anti-GM movement back in the mid-1990s and that I thereby assisted in
demonizing an important technological option which can be used to benefit the
environment. As an environmentalist, and someone who believes that everyone in
this world has a right to a healthy and nutritious diet of their choosing, I could not
have chosen a more counter-productive path. I now regret it completely”
Pathogen status
Potato cyst nematodes (Globodera) occur in 64% of the potato fields in England
Losses of >£3 billion per annum to potato industry
Reduce plant vigour, yellowing of the leaves fewer and smaller tubers
Difficulties in controlling potato cyst nematode
Rotation; if used alone requires 6 or more years
Nematicides; reduce rotation durations, largest variable cost for many growers,
several withdrawn e.g. aldicarb
Resistant cultivars; full quantitative resistance to G. rostochiensis (Maris Piper),
partial mutagenic resistance to G. pallida, sante vale Everest, nematode virulence,
need for other agronomy preferred qualities
Life cycle
Inhibition of cysteine proteinases
Cysteine proteinase activity important for protein digestion by many plant parasitic
nematodes
Cysteine proteinase inhibitors termed cystatins cystatins used for novel resistance
considered biosafe for a number of reasons
Transgenic expression of a cystatin disrupts nematode protein digestion
Characterizing the nature of the inhibition
Correlate inhibition of proteolytic activity to uptake of the cystatin
Isolate genes encoding the proteinases
Analysis of expression patterns
Blocking digestive proteinases prevents growth of cyst nematodes
