Abstract:

This paper deals with the impacts of transgenic rice line KMD1, containing a synthetic truncated toxin gene based on the cry1Ab gene of Bacillus thuringiensis, on the haemocytes of larvae of Chilo suppressalis (Walker). The results showed that transgenic cry1Ab rice affected the hemocytes of 5th instar larvae observably. When the larvae fed on the transgenic cry1Ab rice, the numbers of almost all types of hemocytes except the prohemocytes cystocytes at initial stage were distinctly lower than that of the CK fed on non-transgenic rice Xiushui 11. Because of transgenic cry1Ab rice destroyed all types of hemocytes more or less, the differential hemocyte count and total hemocyte count decreased as the feeding time extended. The percent of prohemocytes after feeding for 36 h reduced sharply, but the proportion of plasmatocytes and granular cells increased, and the numbers of the rest spherules and cystocytes did not change distinctly. The results suggested that the cellular immune system of larvae of C. suppressalis was disturbed severely after their feeding on transgenic cry1Ab rice.

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Key words: Chilo suppressalis, transgenic rice, cry1Ab gene, hemocytes, immunity