There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
Bark beetle infestation and associated fungal infection are a serious disease problem
in conifer species. Conifers have evolved elaborate, constitutive and inducible, terpene-based
defense mechanisms to deter insect pests and their symbiotic fungal pathogens. This
process involves the secretion of oleoresin, a complex mixture of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes
and diterpenoid acids. Induced oleoresinosis in grand fir (Abies grandis) provides
a model system for studying the regulation of defensive terpene biosynthesis and for
identifying relevant genes. The ecological relationships between conifers, beetle
pests, beetle predators and fungal pathogens present several possible avenues for
manipulating oleoresin composition to improve tree resistance. Possible examples include
chemically disguising the host, adding toxins and altering the levels of pheromone
precursors, attractants for predators or hormone mimics to disrupt insect development.
Strategies and prospects for generating transgenic conifers with increased defense
capability are discussed.