Environmental Entomology (2011) 40, 1323-1330

Yongjun Zhang, Yunhe Li, Ying Zhang, Yang Chen, Kongming Wu, Yufa Peng and Yuyuan Guo (2011)
Seasonal expression of Bt proteins in transgenic rice lines and the resistance against Asiatic rice borer Chilo suppressalis (Walker)
Environmental Entomology 40 (5), 1323-1330
Abstract: Laboratory bioassays and field surveys were carried out to compare the resistance of three transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.) lines including Bt-DL expressing a single gene cry1Ab, Bt-KF6 expressing stacked genes cry1Ab and CpTI genes and Bt-SY63 expressing a fusion gene cry1Ab/cry1Ac, respectively, to an important rice pest Chilo suppressalis (Walker). In addition, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were conducted to monitor the Bt protein expressions in rice leaves and stems at different rice growth stages. Results showed that all the transgenic rice lines exhibited significantly high resistance to the pest compared with their corresponding nontransformed isolines. Among the transgenic rice lines, Bt-SY63 and Bt-KF6 had higher resistance to C. suppressalis at early growth stage, but lower resistance at late stages, while the pest resistance of Bt-DL was relatively stable throughout the growing season. The results were consistent with ELISA results showing that Bt protein levels in Bt-SY63 or Bt-KF6 leaves decreased in late growth stages, but were relatively stable in Bt-DL at all growth stages. This demonstrates that the resistance to a pest by Bt plants is positively correlated with Cry protein expression levels in plant tissues. Compared with Bt-SY63 and Bt-KF6, the Bt protein expression levels were significantly lower in Bt-DL, while its resistance to C. suppressalis was the highest. This may suggest that C. suppressalis is more susceptible to Cry1Ab than to Cry1Ac. The data from the current study are valuable for decision-making for commercial use of Bt rice lines and development of appropriate pest control and resistance management strategies for the transgenic rice lines.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Yunhe Li, Yu Yuan Guo

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
evaluation - screening - selection

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Chilo suppressalis	Rice (Oryza)
Bacillus thuringiensis genes in crops (entomopathogen)	Chilo suppressalis	Rice (Oryza)
Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A-toxin (entomopathogen)	Chilo suppressalis	Rice (Oryza)