转Bt基因植物对蜜蜂的安全性研究进展

蜜蜂是农业生态系统中重要的传粉昆虫,也是重要的经济昆虫.其可通过取食抗虫转基因作物花粉而摄取到外源转基因杀虫蛋白.因此,蜜蜂通常作为重要的指示物种用于转基因抗虫作物的环境安全评价工作中.本文在总结国内外相关研究数据的基础上,系统分析了抗虫转基因作物的种植对蜜蜂的安全性,获得以下结论:Bt杀虫蛋白具有较强的杀虫专一性,当前商业化应用的Bt杀虫蛋白对蜜蜂没有直接毒性,因此,转Bt基因作物的种植不会对蜜蜂种群及其发挥的重要生态功能产生显著的负面影响.而早期曾用于植物转基因的蛋白酶抑制剂和植物凝集素对蜜蜂的生长发育及行为具有显著的不利影响,因此,表达这类杀虫蛋白的转基因作物应该不会进入商业化应用.     

转Bt-cry1Ah基因玉米花粉对意大利蜜蜂幼虫的影响

新型杀虫蛋白基因crylAh基因是中国农业科学院植物保护研究所从Bt菌株BT8中鉴定克隆的,其编码蛋白对鳞翅目害虫具有强毒力,尤其对亚洲玉米螟Ostriniafurnacalis（Guen6e）的毒力强于目前使用的crylA类基因。转crylAh基因抗虫玉米具有很好的应用前景。花粉是蜜蜂重要的食物来源,蜜蜂是转基因植物安全性评价的关键测试生物。因此,开展转crylAh基因玉米对蜜蜂的安全性研究很有必要。给意大利蜜蜂ApismelliferoligusticoSpirola蜂群中4-6日龄幼虫饲喂转基因玉米花粉、常规玉米花粉、杂花粉,哺育蜂饲喂为对照。转基因玉米花粉对意大利蜜蜂封盖率、出房率和发育历期没有显著影响。表明转crylAh基因玉米花粉对意大利蜜蜂幼虫的存活和发育没有不良影响。     

转Bt-cry1Ah基因玉米花粉对意大利蜜蜂幼虫的影响

新型杀虫蛋白基因crylAh基因是中国农业科学院植物保护研究所从Bt菌株BT8中鉴定克隆的,其编码蛋白对鳞翅目害虫具有强毒力,尤其对亚洲玉米螟Ostrinia furnacalis(Guenée)的毒力强于目前使用的cry1A类基因.转cry1Ah基因抗虫玉米具有很好的应用前景.花粉是蜜蜂重要的食物来源,蜜蜂是转基因植物安全性评价的关键测试生物.因此,开展转crylAh基因玉米对蜜蜂的安全性研究很有必要.给意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica Spinola蜂群中4～6日龄幼虫饲喂转基因玉米花粉、常规玉米花粉、杂花粉,哺育蜂饲喂为对照.转基因玉米花粉对意大利蜜蜂封盖率、出房率和发育历期没有显著影响.表明转cry1Ah基因玉米花粉对意大利蜜蜂幼虫的存活和发育没有不良影响.     

植物蛋白酶抑制剂在植物抗虫与抗病中的作用

综述了植物蛋白酶抑制剂抗虫与抗病作用的研究进展.蛋白酶抑制剂广泛存在于植物体内,与植物抗虫抗病密切相关.植物蛋白酶抑制剂能抑制昆虫肠道蛋白酶,使昆虫生长发育缓慢,甚至死亡.但取食蛋白酶抑制剂后,昆虫能迅速分泌对抑制剂不敏感的蛋白酶,而使蛋白酶抑制剂无效.食物蛋白的含量和质量也影响植物蛋白酶抑制剂的抗虫效果.病原菌的感染能诱导植物产生蛋白酶抑制剂,诱导产生的蛋白酶抑制剂能抑制病原菌的生长.     

转Bt基因作物Bt毒蛋白在土壤中的安全性研究

商业化的转Bt基因作物获准在田间大面积种植,使其释放的Bt毒蛋白对土壤生态系统的生态风险性问题成为人们关注的焦点,本文综述了转Bt抗虫作物以植株残体、根系分泌物、花粉等形式释放的Bt毒蛋白通过田间耕作等方式进入土壤后的一些安全性问题,包括土壤活性颗粒对Bt毒蛋白的吸附作用。Bt毒蛋白在土壤中的杀虫活性、存留,土壤微生物对Bt毒蛋白的降解作用以及Bt毒蛋白对土壤生物的影响等。     

转双抗虫基因杂种741毛白杨的研究

用部分改造后的苏云金芽孢杆菌 (Bt)杀虫蛋白基因和慈菇蛋白酶抑制剂 (API)基因A构建了植物表达载体。然后通过根癌土壤杆菌 (Agrobacteriumtumefaciens (SmithetTownsend)Conn .)介导将此表达载体上的双抗虫基因转入杂种 741毛白杨 [PopulusalbaL .× (P .davidianaDode P .simoniiCarr.)×P .tomentosaCarr.]获得了一批抗卡那霉素的转化再生植株。用杨扇舟蛾 (Closteraanachoreta (Fabricius) )进行虫试的结果表明有 3株抗虫杨树 ,其中有1株杨树的叶片可使试虫在 6天内的死亡率达 90 %以上 ,而且存活幼虫的生长发育受到了明显的抑制。PCR检测及基因组DNASouthern杂交分析的结果都表明Bt杀虫蛋白基因和API基因已整合到以上 3株抗虫杨树的基因组中 ,而且表现为单拷贝整合。用Bt毒蛋白抗血清进行滤膜免疫反应及ELISA检测结果表明 3株转基因杨树都有Bt杀虫蛋白的表达 ,表达量约占叶总可溶性蛋白的 0 .0 15 %。这是国内外首次报道用双抗虫基因获得的抗虫 741毛白杨植株。     

Bt毒蛋白在转基因抗虫玉米中的表达及在亚洲玉米螟中的转移积累

以两个转Bt基因抗虫玉米品系G03-2396、G03-2739和对照玉米品种苏玉16为材料,采用室内生物测定法研究它们对亚洲玉米螟的抗性, 并采用酶联免疫技术（ELISA）检测这两个转基因玉米品系不同组织中Bt毒蛋白的表达量及亚洲玉米螟3龄与5龄幼虫取食转基因玉米后体内和粪便中的Bt毒蛋白含量.结果表明：转Bt基因抗虫玉米心叶对玉米螟幼虫的毒性较强,初孵幼虫取食6 d后的存活率不到3%,3龄幼虫取食6 d后的存活率小于70%,抗虫玉米雌穗的毒性小于心叶.两个转Bt基因玉米心叶和雌穗中均表达了一定量的Bt毒蛋白,但心叶中的毒蛋白含量高于雌穗;Bt毒蛋白表达量依次为G03-2739心叶（39.6 μg·g^-1FM）> G03-2396心叶（26.1 μg·g^-1 FM）> G03-2396雌穗（17.0 μg·g^-1 FM）> G03-2739雌穗（14.6 μg·g^-1 FM）.取食转基因玉米心叶或雌穗后,3龄幼虫体内的Bt毒蛋白含量显著高于5龄幼虫;同龄幼虫取食心叶后其体内及粪便中Bt毒蛋白含量均显著高于取食雌穗的个体.其中,取食G03-2739心叶的5龄幼虫粪便中的Bt毒蛋白含量最高,达10.4 μg·g^-1 FM;取食其雌穗的3龄幼虫粪便中的Bt毒蛋白含量最低,仅2.7 μg·g^-1 FM.     

转基因抗虫烟草研究进展

烟草为模式植物,也是外源杀虫基因最早转化成功的植物。文章从转Bt内毒素基因,植物凝集素GNA,Plec,AHA基因,蛋白酶抑制剂PIⅠ,PIⅡ,MTI,SKTI基因,昆虫特异性神经毒素基因,几丁质酶基因,畸形细胞分泌蛋白基因以及双抗虫基因等方面综述了转基因抗虫烟草的抗虫性、转基因抗虫烟草的经济性状等,展望了转基因抗虫烟草的研究和应用前景,以期对烟草害虫的治理尤其是对其他转基因抗虫作物的培育和研究有借鉴作用。     

苏云金芽孢杆菌δ-内毒素基因穿梭质粒的构建

在农业生产中长期使用化学农药已对环境和生态平衡造成一定破坏作用,同时有不少害虫也逐渐产生抗药性从而引起某些害虫的大流行,给农业生产带来巨大损失。应用苏云金杆菌杀虫蛋白基因(Bt基因)可构建具有抗虫作用的抗虫工程菌,这样通过拌种或植物叶面喷雾可达到快速、经济、有效的防治虫害的目的。国际上抗虫工程菌研究应用很快,如美国将BI基因转入到一种正常情况下定居在植物组织中的棒杆菌,将这种工程菌拌玉米种子,这样随植物生长该菌在植物体内大量繁殖,当玉米螟在茎和叶取食时,即因食用表达苏云金杆菌毒蛋白的工程菌而死亡。 田颖川等已克隆了苏云金芽孢杆菌内毒素基因CryIA(b)和CryIA(c)。本文将Bt基因CryIA(c)插入到大肠-枯草穿梭载体pBE-2中构建成Bt毒蛋白基因穿梭质粒pAMY,利用电穿孔法转人大肠杆菌DH5a,枯草芽孢杆菌B.subtilis BR151,IA511,野生型蜡状芽孢杆菌B.cereusa-47,短芽孢杆菌B.brevis A-5和枯草芽孢杆菌90-8,获得了具有较高杀虫活性的工程菌克隆。     

苏云金芽孢杆菌δ-内毒素基因穿梭质粒的构建

在农业生产中长期使用化学农药已对环境和生态平衡造成一定破坏作用,同时有不少害虫也逐渐产生抗药性从而引起某些害虫的大流行,给农业生产带来巨大损失。应用苏云金杆菌杀虫蛋白基因(Bt基因)可构建具有抗虫作用的抗虫工程菌,这样通过拌种或植物叶面喷雾可达到快速、经济、有效的防治虫害的目的。国际上抗虫工程菌研究应用很快,如美国将BI基因转入到一种正常情况下定居在植物组织中的棒杆菌,将这种工程菌拌玉米种子,这样随植物生长该菌在植物体内大量繁殖,当玉米螟在茎和叶取食时,即因食用表达苏云金杆菌毒蛋白的工程菌而死亡。 田颖川等已克隆了苏云金芽孢杆菌内毒素基因CryIA(b)和CryIA?。本文将Bt基因CryIA?插入到大肠-枯草穿梭载体pBE-2中构建成Bt毒蛋白基因穿梭质粒pAMY,利用电穿孔法转人大肠杆菌DH5a,枯草芽孢杆菌B.subtilis BR151,IA511,野生型蜡状芽孢杆菌B.cereusa-47,短芽孢杆菌B.brevis A-5和枯草芽孢杆菌90-8,获得了具有较高杀虫活性的工程菌克隆。     

Bt杀虫基因与Bt转基因抗虫植物研究进展

苏云金杆菌是一类非常重要的昆虫病原体,它能产生特异性的杀虫结晶蛋白,对农业上和生物医学上的许多有害的昆虫有毒杀作用,这些害虫包括鳞翅目、双翅目、鞘翅目、膜翅目、螨类和线虫。近三十年来,以苏云金杆菌为基础的生物杀虫剂已在世界范围内商业化用于防治重要经济作物的害虫。近年来有关Ｂｔ基因的遗传、分子生物学和基因工程已取得显著进展。本文对苏云金杆菌杀虫晶体蛋白基因的分类和杀虫机理及用该类基因构建的工程转基因植物研究状况作一简要综述,同时对Ｂｔ基因工程存在的潜在问题和解决途径作了简单的探讨。     

Identification of the bioactive core component of the insecticidal Vip3A toxin peptide of Bacillus thuringiensis

The potential of insecticidal Vip3Aa toxin peptide of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) as a resource for development of lepidopteran insect resistant transgenic crop plants has not yet been fully fathomed. The single mode of protection offered by the insecticidal Vip3Aa toxin against a broad spectrum of lepidopteran insect pests that invade crop field as secondary insect pests, carry definitive significance. However, lack of diversity amongst insecticidal Vip3A toxin towards toxicity for lepidopteran insects is often considered as disadvantage. In order to bring in improvement at this front, search for diversity and protein engineering of the toxin molecule for creation of diversity require to be undertaken in future. In that context, identification of the bioactive core component of Vip3BR toxin peptide of Bt an analogue of Vip3Aa toxin has been accomplished. The core component was found to contain enhanced potency of the insecticidal property 2–3 folds more than the native toxin against four major crop pests.     

转基因棉花Bt毒蛋白的表达及其生态学效应

苏云金杆菌毒蛋白 (Bacillusthuringiensisgtoxicprotein)基因导入棉花植株后获得的转Bt棉可以特异性地毒杀棉铃虫及鳞翅目的一些其它害虫 ,有效地保护棉花植株不受此类棉花害虫的危害。Bt毒蛋白在棉花植株中的表达受一些内外界因素的影响而呈明显的时空变化。转Bt棉除了严重影响靶标害虫自身外 ,还能对其它一些非靶标昆虫和环境产生影响。另外 ,该文还对害虫对Bt棉的抗性以及防止害虫产生抗性的治理对策进行了综述     

Potentiation and cellular phenotypes of the insecticidal Toxin complexes of Photorhabdus bacteria

The toxin complex (tc) genes of bacteria comprise a large and growing family whose mode of action remains obscure. In the insect pathogen Photorhabdus, tc genes encode high molecular weight insecticidal toxins with oral activity against caterpillar pests. One protein, TcdA, has recently been expressed in transgenic plants and shown to confer insect resistance. These toxins therefore represent alternatives to toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) for deployment in transgenic crops. Levels of TcdA expression in transgenic plants were, however, low and the full toxicity associated with the native toxin was not reconstituted. Here we show that increased activity of the toxin TcdA1 requires potentiation by either of two pairs of gene products, TcdB1 and TccC1 or TcdB2 and TccC3. Moreover, these same pairs of proteins can also cross-potentiate a second toxin, TcaA1B1. To elucidate the likely functional domains present in these large proteins, we expressed fragments of each 'toxin' or 'potentiator' gene within mammalian cells. Several domains produced abnormal cellular morphologies leading to cell death, while others showed specific phenotypes such as nuclear translocation. Our results prove that the Tc toxins are complex proteins with multiple functional domains. They also show that both toxin genes and their potentiator pairs will need to be expressed to reconstitute full activity in insect-resistant transgenic plants. Moreover, they suggest that the same potentiator pair will be able to cross-potentiate more than one toxin in a single plant.     

Expression of Cry1Ab and Cry2Ab by a Polycistronic Transgene with a Self-Cleavage Peptide in Rice

Insect resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crystal protein is a major threat to the long-term use of transgenic Bt crops. Gene stacking is a readily deployable strategy to delay the development of insect resistance while it may also broaden insecticidal spectrum. Here, we report the creation of transgenic rice expressing discrete Cry1Ab and Cry2Ab simultaneously from a single expression cassette using 2A self-cleaving peptides, which are autonomous elements from virus guiding the polycistronic viral gene expression in eukaryotes. The synthetic coding sequences of Cry1Ab and Cry2Ab, linked by the coding sequence of a 2A peptide from either foot and mouth disease virus or porcine teschovirus-1, regardless of order, were all expressed as discrete Cry1Ab and Cry2Ab at high levels in the transgenic rice. Insect bioassays demonstrated that the transgenic plants were highly resistant to lepidopteran pests. This study suggested that 2A peptide can be utilized to express multiple Bt genes at high levels in transgenic crops.     

Insect-resistant transgenic brinjal plants

A synthetic cry1Ab gene coding for an insecticidal crystal protein (ICP) of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) was transferred to brinjal (eggplant) by cocultivating cotyledonary explants with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Transformant plants resistant to kanamycin were regenerated. Hybridization experiments demonstrated gene integration and mRNA expression. Double-antibody sandwich ELISA analysis revealed Bt toxin protein expression in the transgenic plants. The expression resulted in a significant insecticidal activity of transgenic brinjal fruits against the larvae of fruit borer (Leucinodes orbonalis). The results also demonstrated that a synthetic gene based on monocot codon usage can be expressed in dicotyledonous plants for insect control.     

Environmentally friendly approaches to genetic engineering

Summary Several environmental problems related to plant genetic engineering may prohibit advancement of this technology and prevent realization of its full potential. One such common concern is the demonstrated escape of foreign genes through pollen dispersal from transgenic crop plants to their weedy relatives, creating super weeds or causing gene pollution among other crops or toxicity of transgenic pollen to nontarget insects. The high rates of gene flow from crops to wild relatives (as high as 38% in sunflower and 50% in strawberries) are certainly a serious concern. Maternal inheritance of the herbicide resistance gene via chloroplast genetic engineering has been shown to be a practical solution to these problems. Another common concern is the suboptimal production of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal protein or reliance on a single (or similar) B.t. protein in commercial transgenic crops, resulting in B.t. resistance among target pests. Clearly, different insecticidal proteins should be produced in lethal quantities to decrease the development of resistance. Such hyperexpression of a novel B.t. protein in chloroplasts has resulted in 100% mortality of insects that are up to 40 000-fold resistant to other B.t. proteins. Yet another concern is the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in transgenic plants that could inactivate oral doses of the antibiotic or be transferred to pathogenic microbes in the GI tract or in soil, rendering them resistant to treatment with such antibiotics. Cotransformation and elimination of antibiotic resistant genes from transgenic plants using transposable elements via breeding are promising new approaches. Genetic engineering efforts have also addressed yet another concern, i.e., the accumulation and persistence of plastics in our environment by production of biodegradable plastics. Recent approaches and accomplishments in addressing these environmental concerns via chloroplast genetic engineering are discussed in this review.     

Transgenic Plants for Insect Pest Control: A Forward Looking Scientific Perspective

One of the first successes of plant biotechnology has been the creation and commercialisation of transgenic crops exhibiting resistance to major insect pests. First generation products encompassed plants with single insecticidal Bt genes with resistance against major pests of corn and cotton. Modelling studies predicted that usefulness of these resistant plants would be short-lived, as a result of the ability of insects to develop resistance against single insecticidal gene products. However, despite such dire predictions no such collapse has taken place and the acreage of transgenic insect resistance crops has been increasing at a steady rate over the 9 years since the deployment of the first transgenic insect resistant plant. However, in order to assure durability and sustainability of resistance, novel strategies have been contemplated and are being developed. This perspective addresses a number of potentially useful strategies to assure the longevity of second and third generation insect resistant plants.     

Variant cry1Ab entomocidal Bacillus thuringiensis toxin gene facilitates the recovery of an increased number of lepidopteran insect resistant independent rice transformants against yellow stem borer (Scirpophaga incertulus) inflicted damage

The primary technical constraint plant scientists face in generating insect resistant transgenic crops with insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crystal protein (Cry) genes remains failing to generate sufficiently large numbers of effective resistant transgenic plant lines. One possible means to overcome this challenge is through deployment of a Cry toxin gene that contains high levels of insecticidal specific activity for target insect pests. In the present study, we tested this hypothesis using a natural variant of the Cry1Ab toxin under laboratory conditions that possessed increased insecticidal potency against the yellow stem borer (YSB, Scirpophaga incertulus), one of the most damaging rice insect pests. Following adoption of a stringent selection strategy for YSB resistant transgenic rice lines under field conditions, results showed recovery of a significantly higher number of YSB resistant independent transgenic plant lines with the variant cry1Ab gene relative to transgenic plant lines harbouring cry1Ab berliner gene. Structural homology modelling of the variant toxin peptide with the Cry1Aa toxin molecule, circular dichroism spectral analysis, and hydropathy plot analysis indicated that serine substitution by phenylalanine at amino acid position 223 of the Cry1Ab toxin molecule resulted in a changed role for α-helix 7 in domain I of Cry1Ab for enhanced toxicity.