title: Transgenic rice plants expressing a modified cry1Ca1 gene are resistant to Spodoptera litura and Chilo suppressalis.
abstract: Nucleotide sequence encoding the truncated insecticidal Cry1Ca1 protein from Bacillus thuringiensis was extensively modified based on the codon usage of rice genes. The overall G + C contents of the synthetic cry1Ca1 coding sequence were raised to 65% with an additional bias of enriching for G and C ending codons as preferred by monocots. The synthetic gene was introduced into the Chinese japonica variety, Xiushui 11, by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic rice plants harboring this gene were highly resistant to Chilo suppressalis and Spodoptera litura larvae as revealed by insect bioassays. High levels of Cry1Ca1 protein were obtained in the leaves of transgenic rice, which were effective in achieving 100% mortality of S. litura and C. suppressalis larvae. The levels of Cry1Ca1 expression in the leaves of these transgenic plants were up to 0.34% of the total soluble proteins. The larvae of C. suppressalis and S. litura could consume a maximum of 1.89 and 4.89 mm2 of transgenic leaf area whereas the consumption of nontransgenic leaves by these larvae was significantly higher; 58.33 and 61.22 mm2, respectively. Analysis of R1 transgenic plants indicated that the cry1Ca1 was inherited by the progeny plants and provided complete protection against C. suppressalis and S. litura larvae.
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada.
authors.forename: Mohsin Abbas
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.forename: Gongyin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Taek H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Evelin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Loit
authors.forename: Donald H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: Sheikh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Riazuddin
authors.forename: Illimar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Altosaar
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007306:Insecticides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000187:drug effects*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000187:drug effects; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004731:Endotoxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007306:Insecticides; C030956:insecticidal crystal protein, Bacillus Thuringiensis