3649-08 IICB.indd - Faculty of Biological Sciences - University of ...

Howard Atkinson
PhD University of Newcastle-Tyne 1972;
Formerly Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Reader, University of Leeds;
Personal Chair in Nematology;
Research group; Centre for Plant Sciences, University of Leeds
Contact: h.j.atkinson@leeds.ac.uk
Nematode-resistant
crops
Plant parasitic nematodes cause losses
to world agriculture of 125 billion dollars
annually. Their control in agribusiness
often depends on pesticides that harm
the environment. In the developing
world many growers are unaware of
these pests and the losses they cause.
The Plant Nematology lab. improves
fundamental knowledge of these pests.
We use the information gained to
develop new technology and test both
its efficacy and biosafety. Our recent
research effort extends from the UK
to the USA, S. America, Africa, India
and China.
Nematode/plant interactions
Some nematodes alter plant gene
activity locally when they modify plant
cells at their feeding sites (Figure. 1).
We have used microarray analysis to
define the changes that occur. We also
study the proteins nematodes secrete
that control this process. Their roles are
being defined using RNA interference.
This causes targeted loss of expression
of individual proteins enabling the role
of each in plant parasitism to
be defined.
Figure 2: Migratory nematode parasites of banana roots
(Radopholus similis) are less than 1mm in length. When
numerous, they cause roots to rot.
Improving nematode control
We use the new knowledge we gain
to devise novel control of nematodes.
This effort spans from gene discovery
and plant transformation to trials
and biosafety assessment. Cysteine
proteinases are important nematode
digestive enzymes. Expression by
crops of specific protein inhibitors of
these proteinases confers resistance
to nematodes. The presence of the
inhibitors can be restricted to roots
(Figure 1). They are inherently safe
proteins. They are not new to our diet
and are harmless when ingested. They
occur naturally in our saliva and foods
like rice. The nematode-resistant plants
do not harm non-target organisms and
have the potential to displace harmful
pesticides. We have devised further
approaches that enhance control levels
and help ensure nematodes will not
overcome the new resistance.
Donation to the
developing world
We adapt our approaches for
developing world needs and donate
them to subsistence farmers worldwide.
We collaborate with Ugandan scientists
to protect the cooking bananas from
nematode losses (Figure 2). We
consider all scientific aspects of future
deployment of our resistance. For
example, we made a detailed study
of issues surrounding its future use in
potato in the Central Andes where many
wild relatives of this crop occur.
More information:
http://www.biology.leeds.ac.uk/nem/
Representative Publications
Celis C, Scurrah M, Cowgill SE, Chumbiauca
S, Franco J, Main G, Keizenbrink DT, Green
J, Visser RG and Atkinson HJ. (2004)
Environmental biosafety and transgenic potato
in a centre of this crop’s diversity. Nature 43:
222-225.
Atkinson, HJ, Grimwood, S, Johnston, K and
Green, J. (2004) Prototype demonstration
of transgenic resistance to the nematode
Radopholus similis conferred on banana by a
cystatin. Transgenic Research 13: 135-142.
Cowgill, SE, Wright, C and Atkinson, HJ.
(2002) Transgenic potatoes with enhanced
levels of nematode resistance do not have
altered susceptibility to nontarget aphids.
Molecular Ecology 11: 821-827.
Urwin, PE, Lilley, CJ and Atkinson, HJ.
(2002) Ingestion of double-stranded RNA by
preparasitic juvenile cyst nematodes leads to
RNA interference. Molecular Plant Microbe
Interactions 15 (8): 747-752.
Figure 1: The swollen female of potato cyst nematode
(Globodera. pallida) is about 0.7mm in diameter. The
plant cells it has modifi ed are stained blue. Antinematode
defences can be restricted to these modifi ed
plant cells.