›› 2005, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (6): 898-902.

• RESEARCH PAPERS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of transgenic Bt-cry1Ab corn pollen on the growth and development and the activity of three metabolic enzymes in Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

ZHANG Yong-Jun, SUN Yi, YUAN Hai-Bin, WU Kong-Ming, PENG Yu-Fa, GUO Yu-Yuan   

  1. Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
  • Online:2005-12-29 Published:2005-12-20

Abstract:

In order to explore the effects of transgenic Bt-cry1Ab corn pollen on the multicolored Asian lady beetle (MALB), Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), a series of experiments were conducted with a non-Bt isoline as the control in the laboratory. The H. axyridis beetles were fed with transgenic Bt-cry1Ab corn pollen mixed with a certain proportion of pea aphids Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) in the laboratory, and changes in their developmental duration and body weight at different stages were observed. The activity changes of three metabolic enzymes (α-naphthylacetate esterase, acetylcholinesterase and glutathione-S-transferase) in H. axyridis reared on transgenic Bt-cry1Ab corn pollen were also determined. Moreover, we monitored the sediment of Bt-Cry1Ab toxin protein in the bodies of H. axyridis by ELISA method. The results indicated that there was no marked difference in the developmental duration at each stage between these beetles fed on  transgenic Bt-cry1Ab corn pollen and those on non_Bt isoline corn pollen. The transgenic Bt-cry1Ab corn pollen also had no notable side effects on the body weight of H. axyridis  at different stages. The activities of metabolic enzyme activities in H. axyridis fed on transgenic Bt-cry1Ab corn pollen changed slightly compared with the control, which had no visible effect on the growth of H. axyridis. The sediment of Bt-Cry1Ab toxin protein in the bodies of H. axyridis at different developmental stages was so scarce that it could not been detected by ELISA method. It was concluded that there was no significantly harmful effect of transgenic Bt-cry1Ab corn on the growth and development of the beetle.

Key words: Transgenic Bt-cry1Abcorn, pollen, Harmonia axyridis, growth and development, metabolic enzymes, enzyme activity