Stable Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin content in interspecific F1 and backcross populations of wild Brassica rapa after Bt gene transfer

Journal or Publishing Institution: Molecular Ecology

Study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-294X.2004.02018.x

Author(s): Zhu, B., Lawrence, J.R., Warwick, S.I., Mason, P., Braun, L., Halfhill, M.D. and Stewart Jr, C.N.

Article Type: Peer Reviewed Study

Record ID: 1755

Abstract: Stable expression of a transgene may lead to increased fitness for wild plants after acquiring the transgene via crop–weed hybridization. Here, we investigate the stability of Bt toxin content in wild Brassica rapa acquiring the Bt gene from Bt Brassica napus. The Bt toxin content in nine Bt‐expressing B. napus lines was 0.80–1.70 µg/g leaf tissue throughout the growing season. These nine lines were crossed with three accessions of wild B. rapa and the Bt gene was successfully transferred to interspecific hybrids (F₁) and successive backcross generations (BC₁ to BC₄). The Bt toxin level in F₁ and BC progenies containing the Bt gene remained at 0.90–3.10 µg/g leaf tissue. This study indicates that the Bt gene can persist and be stably expressed in wild B. rapa.

Keywords: Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin, Backcross, Brassica napus, Interspecific Hybridization, Transgene Transfer, Wild B. rapa; Genetic Crosses, Gene Expression, Gene Transfer Techniques, Genetic Hybridization, Ontario, Trangenes; Chemistry, Genetics

Citation: Zhu, B., Lawrence, J.R., Warwick, S.I., Mason, P., Braun, L., Halfhill, M.D. and Stewart Jr, C.N., 2004. Stable Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin content in interspecific F1 and backcross populations of wild Brassica rapa after Bt gene transfer. Molecular Ecology, 13(1), pp.237-241.