To counter the threat of insect resistance, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize growers in the U.S. are required to plant structured non-Bt maize refuges. Concerns with refuge compliance led to the introduction of seed mixtures, also called RIB (refuge-in-the-bag), as an alternative approach for implementing refuge for Bt maize products in the U.S. Maize Belt. A major concern in RIB is cross-pollination of maize hybrids that can cause Bt proteins to be present in refuge maize kernels and negatively affect refuge insects. Here we show that a mixed planting of 5% nonBt and 95% Bt maize containing the SmartStax traits expressing Cry1A.105, Cry2Ab2 and Cry1F did not provide an effective refuge for an important above-ground ear-feeding pest, the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). Cross-pollination in RIB caused a majority (>90%) of refuge kernels to express ≥ one Bt protein. The contamination of Bt proteins in the refuge ears reduced neonate-to-adult survivorship of H. zea to only 4.6%, a reduction of 88.1% relative to larvae feeding on ears of pure non-Bt maize plantings. In addition, the limited survivors on refuge ears had lower pupal mass and took longer to develop to adults.

Transgenic crops that produce Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins are grown widely for pest control, 1 but insect adaptation can reduce their efficacy. [2][3][4][5][6] The genetically modified Bt toxins Cry1AbMod and Cry1AcMod were designed to counter insect resistance to native Bt toxins Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac. 7 Previous results suggested that the modified toxins would be effective only if resistance was linked T A B A S H N I K E T A L ., N A T U R E B I O T E C H N O L O G Y 2 9 : 1 2 ( D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 )2 with mutations in genes encoding toxin-binding cadherin proteins. 7 Here we report evidence from five major crop pests refuting this hypothesis. Relative to native toxins, the potency of modified toxins was >350-fold higher against resistant strains of Plutella xylostella and Ostrinia nubilalis in which resistance was not linked with cadherin mutations. Conversely, the modified toxins provided little or no advantage against some resistant strains of three other pests with altered cadherin. Independent of the presence of cadherin mutations, the relative potency of the modified toxins was generally higher against the most resistant strains.The toxins produced by Bt kill some major insect pests but cause little or no harm to people and most other organisms. 8 Bt toxins have been used in sprays for decades and in transgenic plants since 1996 (ref. 6). Transgenic corn and cotton producing Bt toxins were planted on >58 million hectares worldwide in 2010 (ref. 1). The primary threat to the longterm efficacy of Bt toxins is the evolution of resistance by pests. [2][3][4][5][6] Many insects have been selected for resistance to Bt toxins in the laboratory, and some populations of at least eight crop pests have evolved resistance to Bt toxins outside of the laboratory, including two species resistant to Bt sprays and at least six species resistant to Bt crops. [2][3][4][5][6][9][10][11][12][13] The most widely used Bt toxins are crystalline proteins in the Cry1A family, particularly Cry1Ab in transgenic Bt corn and Cry1Ac in transgenic Bt cotton, which kill some lepidopteran larvae. 3 Cry1A toxins bind to the extracellular domains of cadherin, aminopeptidase, and alkaline phosphatase in larval midgut membranes. 14,15 Disruption of Bt toxin binding to midgut receptors is the most common general mechanism of insect resistance. 9 Mutations in the genes encoding midgut cadherins that bind Cry1Ac are linked with resistance in at least three lepidopteran pests of cotton, [16][17][18] but such cadherin mutations are not the primary cause of many other cases of field-and laboratory-selected resistance. 9,19,20 Although some aspects of the mode of action of Bt toxins remain unresolved, extensive evidence shows that after Cry1A protoxins are ingested by larvae, they are solubilized in the gut and cleaved by mid-gut proteases such as trypsin to yield activated 60-kD monomeric toxins that bind with membrane-associated receptors. 14,15 The signaling model suggests that after protease-activated monomeric toxins bind to ca...

Transgenic maize, Zea mays L., expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) CrylAb toxin has been planted to extensive areas across the United States and several other countries, but no resistance has been documented in field populations oflepidopteran target pests. This article describes the first report of resistance alleles to commercially available Cry1Ab Bt maize in a Louisiana population of sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Two hundred thirteen two-parent isolines of D. saccharalis were screened for Cry1Ab resistance on Bt maize leaf tissue using an F2 screening technique. Larvae representing three isolines survived >15 d on Bt tissue in the F2 generation. The second generation backcross progeny (B1F2) derived from isoline 52 completed larval development on Bt maize in the greenhouse. Segregation and resistance frequency analysis associated with isoline 52 suggested that Bt resistance is probably determined by a nearly completely recessive allele at a single locus. With this assumption, the estimated resistance allele frequency in this population is 0.0023, within a 95% confidence interval of 0.0003-0.0064.

Genetically modified cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., cultivars ('Bollgard') that produce crystalline proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) are valuable tools for managing lepidopteran insect pests in the United States. However, high numbers of bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), larvae have been observed feeding in white flowers of these cultivars. Fresh tissue bioassays were conducted to investigate bollworm survival on Bollgard and 'Bollgard II' cottons. Bollworm survival was higher on square and flower anthers than on other floral structures on 'Deltapine 5415' (conventional cotton) and 'NuCOTN 33B' (Bollgard). Bollworm survival at 72 h was higher on all floral structures from Deltapine 5415 than on corresponding structures from NuCOTN 33B. ELISA tests indicated that CryIA(c) expression varied among plant parts; however, bollworm survival did not correlate with protein expression levels. Trends in bollworm survival on Bollgard II were similar to those on Bollgard and conventional cotton; however, survival was lower on all structures of Bollgard II than on corresponding structures of Bollgard and conventional cotton. These data support field observations of bollworm injury to white flowers and small bolls and provide a better understanding of larval behavior on Bollgard cotton.

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