Insects, aphids, proteinases, proteinase inhibitors, transgenic plants, lectins, A. thaliana, melon Aphis gossypii on a plant Insect pests cause important losses to agricultural production.
Genetic engineering offers new possibilities to obtain insect-resistant plants.
The co-expression of several proteins in a transgenic plant and the use of phloem specific promoters are under study. In parallel, the potential impact of these plants on non target insects such as bees is modified. Transgenic plants for insect resistance. High level of resistance to proteinase inhibitors may be conferred by proteolytic cleavage in beetle larvae. Opposite effects on Spodoptera littoralis larvae of low and high expression level of a trypsin proteinase inhibitor in transgenic plants.