Slmyc2-Modified Tomato Plants for Predatory Mite Establishment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tomato plants lack the ability to establish predatory mites such as Amblyseius swirskii and Amblydromalus limonicus, which are essential for biological pest control, due to the presence of glandular hairs and volatiles that hinder their establishment.

Innovation Solution

A modified Slmyc2 gene is introduced into tomato plants, reducing or eliminating the production of specific terpenes and altering glandular hair structure, allowing these mites to establish and function effectively as biological pest controllers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If tomato plants are grown with standard glandular hair structure, then the plants produce normal volatiles and terpenes, but predatory mites cannot establish themselves on the plants

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveestablishment of predatory mitesVSAvoidpresence of glandular hairs and volatiles

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention modifies the glandular hair parameters by introducing mutations in the Slmyc2 gene, which changes the chemical composition (reducing volatiles and terpenes) and physical structure (affecting glandular hair development) of the tomato plants, thereby making the plants suitable for predatory mite establishment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If biological pest control using predatory mites is implemented, then chemical pesticide use is reduced, but the mites cannot establish themselves due to plant surface characteristics

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrop yield and qualityVSAvoidestablishment of biological control agents

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The Slmyc2 gene modification changes the plant surface parameters including volatile emission levels and glandular hair structure, creating a plant surface that is compatible with predatory mite establishment and survival, thereby enabling biological pest control operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the Slmyc2 gene activity is reduced or eliminated, then terpene production decreases and glandular hair structure is modified, but this requires genetic modification

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepredatory mite establishmentVSAvoidgenetic modification requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts or removes the harmful function of the Slmyc2 gene by introducing loss-of-function mutations, thereby eliminating the gene's negative effect on predatory mite establishment while retaining the plant's normal growth and development functions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4147569B1Tomato plants allowing the establishment of mites

Publication Date: 2026.05.06 RIJK ZWAAN ZAADTEELT & ZAADHANDEL BV

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AI summary

The present invention relates to a modified Slmyc2 gene, comprising at least one modification as compared to the wild type sequence of SEQ ID No. 5, which modification leads to the reduction or absence of S1MYC2 protein activity, wherein the modified Slmyc2 gene is capable of conferring an aberrant glandular hair phenotype to a Solanum lycopersicum plant. The modification is suitably selected from a modification that decreases the mRNA level of the Slmyc2 gene, a modification that decreases the level of the S1MYC2 protein and/or a modification that decreases the activity of the S1MYC2 protein, as compared to the wild type Slmyc2 gene of SEQ ID No. 5.