F2 screen for resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry2Ab2-maize in field populations of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from the southern United States

Journal or Publishing Institution: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology

Study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022201116300702

Author(s): Niu, Y., Qureshi, J.A., Ni, X., Head, G.P., Price, P.A., Meagher, R.L., Kerns, D., Levy, R., Yang, X. and Huang, F.

Article Type: Peer Reviewed Study

Abstract:

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a target pest of transgenic maize and cotton expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins in both North and South America. In 2013 and 2014, a total of 215 F2 two-parent families of S. frugiperda were established using single-pair mating of field individuals collected from seven locations in four states of the southern U.S.: Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida. The objective of the investigation was to detect resistance alleles in field populations to Cry2Ab2, a common Bt protein produced in transgenic maize and cotton. For each F2 family, 128 F2 neonates were screened on leaf tissue of Cry2Ab2 maize plants in the laboratory. A conservative estimate of the frequency of major Cry2Ab2 resistance alleles in S. frugiperda from the four states was 0.0023 with a 95% credibility interval of 0.0003–0.0064. In addition, six families were considered to likely possess minor resistance alleles at a frequency of 0.0082 with a 95% credibility interval of 0.0033–0.0152. One F2 family from Georgia (GA-15) was confirmed to possess a major resistance allele to the Cry2Ab2 protein. Larvae from this family survived well on whole maize plants expressing Cry2Ab2 protein and demonstrated a significant level (>15-fold) of resistance when fed with the same protein incorporated in a meridic diet. The detection of the major resistance allele along with the relatively abundant minor resistance alleles revealed in this study may have important implications for resistance management.

Keywords: Spodoptera frugiperda, Transgenic maize, Bacillus thuringiensis, Cry2Ab2, F2 screening, insect resistance management, integrated pest management, Bt corn, Genetically Modified, Genetically engineered, GMO

Citation:

Niu, Y., Qureshi, J.A., Ni, X., Head, G.P., Price, P.A., Meagher, R.L., Kerns, D., Levy, R., Yang, X. and Huang, F., 2016. F 2 screen for resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry2Ab2-maize in field populations of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from the southern United States. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 138, pp.66-72.

Record ID: 2449