Effects of Bt-cry1Ahcorn pollen on larvae of Apis mellifera ligustica

The cry1Ah gene,which displays high toxicity against Lepidopteran larvae,was one of the novel insecticidal genes cloned from Bacillus thuringiensis isolate BT8.Cry1Ah protein have higher toxicity to the Asian corn borer(Ostrinia furnacalis(Guenee)) than any other cry1A genes.The cry1Ah gene was therefore a candidate gene for insect resistant transgenic corn research.Pollen is a significant component of the diet of honeybees.Thus the honeybee may serve as one of the key species to be tested for the potential adverse effects of transgenic crops and assessment of impacts on honeybees is an essential part of the risk assessment process for Bt cry1Ah gene corn.The effects of dietary transgenic Bt corn pollen on honeybee worker larvae of Apis mellifera ligustica Spinola was examined.We measured cap rate,emergence rate,and immature stage after 4-6-day-old larvae were fed either cry1Ah corn pollen,regular corn pollen,mixed bee pollen and a control.There were no significant differences in all the parameters measured between bees fed these diets.These results suggest that transgenic Bt corn pollen does not pose a threat to honeybee larval development.