A Standardized Lepidopteran Bioassay to Investigate the Bioactivity of Insecticidal Proteins Produced in Transgenic Crops

Author(s):  
Gerson Graser ◽  
Frederick S. Walters
HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 699b-699
Author(s):  
David R. Corbin ◽  
Frederick J. Perlak ◽  
David A. Fischhoff ◽  
John T. Greenplate ◽  
Zhen Shen ◽  
...  

Genetically modified potato and cotton crops that express insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have recently been commercialized. These crops display autonomous resistance to specific insect pests, and thus offer major agricultural and environmental benefits. We have implemented a microbial screening program to discover new types of insecticidal proteins for use in transgenic crops. New proteins with diverse modes of action offer opportunities to control insect pests that are not susceptible to Bt insecticidal proteins and to delay or prevent the potential occurrence of resistance of insects to crops genetically modified with Bt genes. Cholesterol oxidase emerged from our screen as a new insecticidal protein with potent activity against the cotton boll weevil. Cholesterol oxidase was acutely toxic to boll weevil larvae, with an LC50 of 2–6 parts per million when ingested in artificial diet feeding assays, and caused marked reductions in fecundity when ingested by adult boll weevils. Cholesterol oxidase also exerted significant, though less severe, toxicity against several lepidopteran pests. The insecticidal action of cholesterol oxidase appears to be due to oxidation of midgut epithelial membrane cholesterol followed by membrane disruption. A cholesterol oxidase gene was cloned and expressed in transgenic tobacco plants to yield plant tissue that exerted potent activity against boll weevil. Expression of this cholesterol oxidase gene in cotton plants may offer significant protection against the cotton boll weevil and may also aid in the mitigation of resistance of cotton lepidopteran pests to Bt proteins.


Nature ◽  
2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Hopkin
Keyword(s):  

Nature ◽  
1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Gee
Keyword(s):  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abolfazl Baghbani-Arani ◽  
Mona Poureisa ◽  
Hossein Alekajbaf ◽  
Rezvan Karami Borz-Abad ◽  
Khodadad Khodadadi-Dashtaki

AbstractRecently, there has been a development in transgenic technologies in many countries to meet nutritional needs of increasing worlds҆ population. However, there are some concerns about possible risks in the field of growing genetically modified (GM) food, such as threats of biodiversity and food allergies making their use a challenge. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the economic effects and political scopes of GM foods in production sector and policies made by different countries in the world and Iran. Moreover, essential (practical and legal) solutions and guidelines were provided for production and consumption of GM foods, which are useful for governmental entities, Iranian politicians, and consumers' rights. The latest situation of transgenic crops in the countries with which Iran has the highest exchange of agricultural products (including Turkey, Pakistan, and the European Union (EU)) was also studied. Although, Iran has been one of leading Asian countries not only in the field of transfer of technical knowledge of genetic engineering, but also in development of the specialized knowledge of biosafety, and despite production of several transgenic plant lines by Iranian researchers, unfortunately no GM crop has obtained release and cultivation license except for GM rice that its growing process was banned after change of government. According to findings of this study, in Iran, growing and production process of GM crops does not follow the global trend owing to scientific and legal infrastructures.


2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 537-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart Smyth ◽  
George G. Khachatourians ◽  
Peter W.B. Phillips
Keyword(s):  

PLoS ONE ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. e2664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Konrad ◽  
Natalie Ferry ◽  
Angharad M. R. Gatehouse ◽  
Dirk Babendreier

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