Toxicity of snowdrop lectin protein towards cotton aphids Aphis gossypii (Homoptera, Aphididae)

The range of sap sucking insect pests to which GNA (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin) has been shown to be insecticidal in artificial diets has been extended to include the cotton aphids (Aphis gossypii). Full length GNA gene was cloned following PCR amplification of the gene from the available source (F-45) with two oligonucleotide primers containing appropriate flanking restriction site. The cloned gene was subcloned into an E.coli expression vector and expression was conducted successfully under T7 promoter. The expressed protein was affinity purified and the presence of gene product was confirmed through immunoblotting using polyclonal anti-GNA antibodies. In this study, GNA has been shown to enhance resistance to aphis gossypii in artificial diet bioassays, suggesting this gene as a potential candidate for the control of sap sucking insect pests of cotton.