02234nas a2200301   4500008004600000245007700046210006900123300001400192490000700206520130700213653002001520653001201540653002101552653002701573653004101600653002601641653003301667653003001700653003301730653001701763100001801780700002101798700001501819700001901834700001701853700001201870856005001882       Submitted                   eng d     00aA peptide from insects protects transgenic tobacco from a parasitic weed0 apeptide from insects protects transgenic tobacco from a parasiti  a227 - 2360 v143 aParasitic plants present some of the most intractable weed problems for agriculture in much of the world. Species of root parasites such as Orobanche can cause enormous yield losses, yet few control measures are effective and affordable. An ideal solution to this problem is the development of parasite-resistant crops, but this goal has been elusive for most susceptible crops. Here we report a mechanism for resistance to the parasitic angiosperm Orobanche based on expression of sarcotoxin IA in transgenic tobacco. Sarcotoxin IA is a 40-residue peptide with antibiotic activity, originally isolated from the fly, Sarcophaga peregrina. The sarcotoxin IA gene was fused to an Orobanche-inducible promoter, HMG2, which is induced locally in the host root at the point of contact with the parasite, and used to transform tobacco. The resulting transgenic plants accumulated more biomass than non-transformed plants in the presence of parasites. Furthermore, plants expressing sarcotoxin IA showed enhanced resistance to O. aegyptiaca as evidenced by abnormal parasite development and higher parasite mortality after attachment as compared to non-transformed plants. The transgenic plants were similar in appearance to non-transformed plants suggesting that sarcotoxin IA is not detrimental to the host.10a*Plant Diseases10aAnimals10aDiptera/genetics10aHMGB2 Protein/genetics10aInsect Proteins/*genetics/metabolism10aOrobanche/*physiology10aPlants, Genetically Modified10aPromoter Regions, Genetic10aTobacco/*genetics/metabolism10aTransfection1 aHamamouch, N.1 aWestwood, J., H.1 aBanner, I.1 aCramer, C., L.1 aGepstein, S.1 aAly, R.  uhttps://sarcophagidae.myspecies.info/node/65102125nas a2200253   4500008004600000245009500046210006900141300001400210490000700224520130100231653002401532653001201556653002101568653004601589653002801635653002801663653003301691653002001724653002301744100001101767700002101778700002201799856005001821       Submitted                   eng d     00aNeuropeptide-like precursor 4 is uniquely expressed during pupal diapause in the flesh fly0 aNeuropeptidelike precursor 4 is uniquely expressed during pupal   a518 - 5210 v303 aSuppression subtractive hybridization comparing brains from diapausing and nondiapausing pupae of the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis, suggested that the gene encoding neuropeptide-like precursor 4 (Nplp4) was uniquely expressed during diapause. We have sequenced the full-length cDNA encoding Nplp4 and used Northern blots to further evaluate linkage to diapause. The open reading frame of this cDNA encodes a 61-amino acid residue precursor protein containing a predicted 18 residue signal peptide, one 22-amino acid and one 2-amino acid propeptides, and a 19-amino acid neuropeptide. The amino acid sequence of the precursor protein shows 64% identity to Drosophila melanogaster Nplp4; homologues of this precursor protein are not known from species other than these two flies. Nplp4 mRNA levels were quite low in nondiapausing (long day) pupae, but in contrast the gene was highly upregulated in diapausing (short day) pupae. Expression increased at the onset of diapause, remained high throughout diapause, and then decreased 2 days after diapause was terminated. Although the function of this precursor protein and the neuropeptide it yields remain unknown, this close association with diapause suggests a potential role for Nplp4 in initiating and maintaining diapause in the flesh fly.10aAmino Acid Sequence10aAnimals10aDiptera/genetics10aGene Expression Regulation, Developmental10aMolecular Sequence Data10aNeuropeptides/*genetics10aProtein Precursors/*genetics10aPupa/metabolism10aSequence Alignment1 aLi, A.1 aRinehart, J., P.1 aDenlinger, D., L.  uhttps://sarcophagidae.myspecies.info/node/282