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Bacillus thuringiensis Maize Expressing a Fusion Gene Cry1Ab/Cry1AcZM Does Not Harm Valued Pollen Feeders.
- Source :
-
Toxins [Toxins (Basel)] 2018 Dec 26; Vol. 11 (1). Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Dec 26. - Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- The ladybird Propylea japonica , adults of the green lacewing Chrysoperla nipponensis and the honey bee Apis mellifera are common pollen feeders in many crop systems. They could therefore be directly exposed to Cry proteins in Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt )-transgenic crop fields by ingestion of pollen. They, or closely related species, are therefore often selected as surrogate test species in non-target risk assessment of Bt plants. In the current study, we evaluated the potential effects of the ingestion of Bt maize pollen containing the Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac fusion protein on various life-table parameters of the three pollen-feeding non-target species in laboratory feeding assays. The results showed that pupation rate and male adult fresh weight of P. japonica were significantly increased when fed pollen from Bt maize compared to control maize pollen, but other test life-table parameters were not affected. For the other two species, none of the tested life-table parameters (survival, pre-oviposition period, fecundity and adult fresh weight for C. nipponensis; survival and mean acinus diameter of hypopharyngeal glands for A. mellifera ) differed between non- Bt and Bt maize pollen treatments. ELISA measurements confirmed the stability and uptake of the Cry protein by all three species during the feeding bioassays. In addition, a sensitive insect bioassay confirmed the bioactivity of the Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac protein in the Bt maize pollen used. Overall, the results suggested that the three pollen feeders are not sensitive to the Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac protein, and planting of the Bt maize variety will pose a negligible risk to P. japonica , adult C. nipponensis and adult A. mellifera .
- Subjects :
- Animals
Artificial Gene Fusion
Bacillus thuringiensis genetics
Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins
Bacterial Proteins toxicity
Biological Assay
Endotoxins toxicity
Female
Hemolysin Proteins toxicity
Larva physiology
Male
Plants, Genetically Modified toxicity
Zea mays toxicity
Bacterial Proteins genetics
Endotoxins genetics
Hemolysin Proteins genetics
Insecta physiology
Plants, Genetically Modified genetics
Pollen toxicity
Zea mays genetics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2072-6651
- Volume :
- 11
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Toxins
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 30587774
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins11010008