1HCRU, USDA-ARS, 3420 N. W. Orchard Ave., Corvallis, OR 97330, USA. 2ICEL, USDA-ARS, Bldg 007, BARC-W, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
Oviposition by the pea weevil (Bruchis pisorum L.) on pods of pea (Pisum sativum L.) lines carrying the Neoplastic pod (Np) gene stimulates cell division at the point of egg attachment. The resulting neoplastic growth is a barrier to larval entry into the pod. We have identified several closely related compounds from pea weevil that act as potent mitogens when applied to pea pods. These newly discovered compounds, which we refer to as bruchins, are the first natural products isolated from insects that can cause neoplastic growth when applied to an intact plant. As such, they are responsible for a unique type of induced resistance.