The Potential for Trypsin Inhibitor Expression in Leaves to Convey Herbivory Deterrence in Soybean

Soybean (<i>Glycine max</i>) is the most widely grown legume crop in the world, providing important economic value. Pest herbivory damage by insects and mammalian wildlife, in particular the white-tailed deer (<i>Odocoileus virginianus</i>), limits yields in soybean. Incorpor...

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Main Authors: Audrey E. Birdwell, Sebe A. Brown, Gino J. D’Angelo, Mitra Mazarei, Charles Neal Stewart
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Plants
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/4/617
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author Audrey E. Birdwell
Sebe A. Brown
Gino J. D’Angelo
Mitra Mazarei
Charles Neal Stewart
author_facet Audrey E. Birdwell
Sebe A. Brown
Gino J. D’Angelo
Mitra Mazarei
Charles Neal Stewart
author_sort Audrey E. Birdwell
collection DOAJ
description Soybean (<i>Glycine max</i>) is the most widely grown legume crop in the world, providing important economic value. Pest herbivory damage by insects and mammalian wildlife, in particular the white-tailed deer (<i>Odocoileus virginianus</i>), limits yields in soybean. Incorporating trypsin inhibitors (TIs) as plant protectant against herbivory pests has been of interest. We previously showed that the overexpression of soybean TIs in soybean conferred insect deterrence under greenhouse experiments. In this study, we examined the potential of transgenic TI-overexpressing lines in deterring insects under field conditions at Knoxville, Tennessee. Our results indicate that the overexpression of TI could lead to a significant reduction in leaf defoliation of the transgenic compared to non-transgenic lines without negatively impacting plant growth and yield under field conditions. Furthermore, we extended our study by comprehensive evaluation of these transgenic plants against the white-tailed deer herbivory in a separate field setting at Jackson, Tennessee, and with controlled deer feeding experiments. No significant differences in growth characteristics were found between transgenic and non-transgenic lines under field conditions. There were also no significant differences in deer deterrence between transgenic and non-transgenic lines in ambient deer herbivory field or controlled deer feeding trials. Our study provides further insights into more exploration of the role of TI genes in pest control in this economically important crop.
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spelling doaj-art-2c45bbd438244b87a189bd8aa1ed983a2025-08-20T02:44:56ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-02-0114461710.3390/plants14040617The Potential for Trypsin Inhibitor Expression in Leaves to Convey Herbivory Deterrence in SoybeanAudrey E. Birdwell0Sebe A. Brown1Gino J. D’Angelo2Mitra Mazarei3Charles Neal Stewart4Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USADepartment of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Jackson, TN 38301, USAWarnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USADepartment of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USADepartment of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USASoybean (<i>Glycine max</i>) is the most widely grown legume crop in the world, providing important economic value. Pest herbivory damage by insects and mammalian wildlife, in particular the white-tailed deer (<i>Odocoileus virginianus</i>), limits yields in soybean. Incorporating trypsin inhibitors (TIs) as plant protectant against herbivory pests has been of interest. We previously showed that the overexpression of soybean TIs in soybean conferred insect deterrence under greenhouse experiments. In this study, we examined the potential of transgenic TI-overexpressing lines in deterring insects under field conditions at Knoxville, Tennessee. Our results indicate that the overexpression of TI could lead to a significant reduction in leaf defoliation of the transgenic compared to non-transgenic lines without negatively impacting plant growth and yield under field conditions. Furthermore, we extended our study by comprehensive evaluation of these transgenic plants against the white-tailed deer herbivory in a separate field setting at Jackson, Tennessee, and with controlled deer feeding experiments. No significant differences in growth characteristics were found between transgenic and non-transgenic lines under field conditions. There were also no significant differences in deer deterrence between transgenic and non-transgenic lines in ambient deer herbivory field or controlled deer feeding trials. Our study provides further insights into more exploration of the role of TI genes in pest control in this economically important crop.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/4/617<i>Glycine max</i>proteinase inhibitorsoverexpressionherbivorous pestsinsectdeer
spellingShingle Audrey E. Birdwell
Sebe A. Brown
Gino J. D’Angelo
Mitra Mazarei
Charles Neal Stewart
The Potential for Trypsin Inhibitor Expression in Leaves to Convey Herbivory Deterrence in Soybean
Plants
<i>Glycine max</i>
proteinase inhibitors
overexpression
herbivorous pests
insect
deer
title The Potential for Trypsin Inhibitor Expression in Leaves to Convey Herbivory Deterrence in Soybean
title_full The Potential for Trypsin Inhibitor Expression in Leaves to Convey Herbivory Deterrence in Soybean
title_fullStr The Potential for Trypsin Inhibitor Expression in Leaves to Convey Herbivory Deterrence in Soybean
title_full_unstemmed The Potential for Trypsin Inhibitor Expression in Leaves to Convey Herbivory Deterrence in Soybean
title_short The Potential for Trypsin Inhibitor Expression in Leaves to Convey Herbivory Deterrence in Soybean
title_sort potential for trypsin inhibitor expression in leaves to convey herbivory deterrence in soybean
topic <i>Glycine max</i>
proteinase inhibitors
overexpression
herbivorous pests
insect
deer
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/4/617
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