Genetically engineered crops help support conservation biological control

Romeis, Jörg; Naranjo, Steven E.; Meissle, Michael; Shelton, Anthony M.

doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2018.10.001

Cited by 181 publications

(133 citation statements)

References 267 publications

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“…Because we provided the test insects with sucrose solution containing dsRNA at concentrations of 0.25 or 2 µg µL −1 , our margins of exposure (MOE) were 15 000 and 60 000, respectively, when calculated for the maximum expression levels of Dvv Snf7 dsRNA in leaves. In reality, the MOE will be even higher because the levels of dsRNA are likely to be significantly lower in herbivorous prey organisms than in leaves as has been reported from studies with Bt ‐transgenic crops . Although the predators might be constantly exposed to the dsRNA in the field but were only fed twice in our feeding bioassay, the dsRNA test concentration was two orders of magnitude higher than the LC 50 recorded for D. v. virgifera larvae .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…To assess the risk that an RNAi‐based GE plant would pose to those important non‐target organisms, however, both hazard and exposure need to be considered. In the case of predatory coccinellids, expression levels in both pollen and leaves (as food of prey herbivores) are relevant . A GE maize event producing the particular dsRNA targeting the vATPase A of D. v. virgifera used in the present study does not exist.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the case of predatory coccinellids, expression levels in both pollen and leaves (as food of prey herbivores) are relevant. 65,66 A GE maize event producing the particular dsRNA targeting the vATPase A of D. v. virgifera used in the present study does not exist. Thus, the level at which the Dvv dsRNA would be expressed in the plant tissue is unknown.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Responses of two ladybird beetle species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to dietary RNAi

Haller

Widmer

Siegfried

et al. 2019

Pest Management Science

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BACKGROUND One concern with the adoption of RNAi‐based genetically engineered (GE) crops is the potential harm to valued non‐target organisms. Species of Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) are important natural enemies and might be exposed to the insecticidal dsRNA produced by the plant. To assess their susceptibility to dietary RNAi, we fed Adalia bipunctata and Coccinella septempunctata with a dsRNA designed to target the vATPase A of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Dvv dsRNA). Specific dsRNAs designed to target the vATPase A of the two ladybird beetle species served as positive controls. RESULTS Our results revealed that both species were sensitive to dietary RNAi when ingesting their own dsRNAs, with C. septempunctata being more sensitive than A. bipunctata. Dvv dsRNA also adversely affected the two ladybird beetles as indicated by a significantly (but marginally) prolonged developmental time for A. bipunctata and a significantly reduced survival rate for C. septempunctata. These results, however, were obtained at Dvv dsRNA concentrations that were orders of magnitude higher than expected to occur in the field. Gene expression analyses confirmed the bioactivity of the dsRNA treatments and the results from the feeding bioassays. These results are consistent with the bioinformatics analyses, which revealed a higher number of 21‐nucleotide‐long matches, a requirement for effective RNAi, of the Dvv dsRNA with the vATPase A of C. septempunctata (34 matches) than with that of A. bipunctata (six matches). CONCLUSION Feeding bioassays revealed that two ladybird species are responsive to dietary RNAi. The two species, however, differed in their sensitivity. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Responses of two ladybird beetle species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to dietary RNAi

Haller

Widmer

Siegfried

et al. 2019

Pest Management Science

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“…Whereas Bt toxins have been used in sprays for nearly a century, crops genetically engineered to produce Bt toxins have been cultivated since 1996 and were planted on over 100 million hectares in 2017 . These transgenic Bt crops provide many benefits including pest suppression, increased yields and farmer profits, reduced conventional insecticide use, decreased harm to non‐target species, and enhanced biological control . However, evolution of resistance to Bt crops by insect pests is reducing these benefits …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced cadherin expression associated with resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac in pink bollworm

Fabrick

Mathew

LeRoy

et al. 2019

Pest Management Science

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BACKGROUND Better understanding of the molecular basis of resistance is needed to improve management of pest resistance to transgenic crops that produce insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Here we analyzed resistance of the pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) to Bt toxin Cry1Ac, which is used widely in transgenic Bt cotton. Field‐evolved practical resistance of pink bollworm to Cry1Ac is widespread in India, but not in China or the United States. Previous work with laboratory‐ and field‐selected pink bollworm indicated that resistance to Cry1Ac is caused by changes in the amino acid sequence of a midgut cadherin protein (PgCad1) that binds Cry1Ac in susceptible larvae. RESULTS Relative to a susceptible strain, the laboratory‐selected APHIS‐R strain had 530‐fold resistance to Cry1Ac with autosomal recessive inheritance. Unlike previous results, resistance in this strain was not consistently associated with insertions or deletions in the expected amino acid sequence of PgCad1. However, this resistance was associated with 79‐ to 190‐fold reduced transcription of the PgCad1 gene and markedly lower abundance of PgCad1 protein. CONCLUSION The ability of pink bollworm and other major pests to evolve resistance to Bt toxins via both qualitative and quantitative changes in receptor proteins demonstrates their remarkable adaptability and presents challenges for monitoring and managing resistance to Bt crops. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

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“…(In the case of PPPs, contact exposure might also be possible (see Zheng et al., ). The greatest exposure is expected to occur to NT arthropods feeding directly on living plant material or consumption of plant‐fed herbivores (in the case of natural enemies), although exposure from consumption of pollen, cuttings, leaf litter, or other plant materials or exudates into soil or aquatic environments is also a possibility provided the dsRNA persists in these environments in sufficient concentrations (Romeis et al., ). Following consumption, the dsRNA must resist degradation in the gut, and the NT arthropod must be competent to uptake the dsRNA in sufficient quantities to activate its endogenous RNAi machinery.…”

Section: Problem Formulation In Practice: Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using problem formulation for fit‐for‐purpose pre‐market environmental risk assessments of regulated stressors

Devos

Devlin

Ippolito

et al. 2019

EFS2

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Pre-market/prospective environmental risk assessments (ERAs) contribute to risk analyses performed to facilitate decisions about the market introduction of regulated stressors. Robust ERAs begin with an explicit problem formulation, which involves among other steps: (1) formally devising plausible pathways to harm that describe how the deployment of a regulated stressor could be harmful; (2) formulating risk hypotheses about the likelihood and severity of such events; (3) identifying the information that will be useful to test the risk hypotheses; and (4) developing a plan to acquire new data for hypothesis testing should tests with existing information be insufficient for decision-making. Here, we apply problem formulation to the assessment of possible adverse effects of RNA interference-based insecticidal genetically modified (GM) plants, GM growth hormone coho salmon, gene drive-modified mosquitoes and classical biological weed control agents on non-target organisms in a prospective manner, and of neonicotinoid insecticides on bees in a retrospective manner. In addition, specific considerations for the problem formulation for the ERA of nanomaterials and for landscape-scale population-level ERAs are given. We argue that applying problem formulation to ERA maximises the usefulness of ERA studies for decision-making, through an iterative process, because: (1) harm is defined explicitly from the start; (2) the construction of risk hypotheses is guided by policy rather than an exhaustive attempt to address any possible differences; (3) existing information is used effectively; (4) new data are collected with a clear purpose; (5) risk is characterised against well-defined criteria of hypothesis corroboration or falsification; and (6) risk assessment conclusions can be communicated clearly. However, problem formulation is still often hindered by the absence of clear policy goals and decision-making criteria (e.g. definition of protection goals and what constitutes harm) that are needed to guide the interpretation of scientific information. We therefore advocate further dialogue between risk assessors and risk managers to clarify how ERAs can address policy goals and decision-making criteria. Ideally, this dialogue should take place for all classes of regulated stressors, as this can promote alignment and consistency on the desired level of protection and maximum tolerable impacts across regulated stressors.

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Genetically engineered crops help support conservation biological control

Cited by 181 publications

References 267 publications

Responses of two ladybird beetle species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to dietary RNAi

Responses of two ladybird beetle species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to dietary RNAi

Reduced cadherin expression associated with resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac in pink bollworm

Using problem formulation for fit‐for‐purpose pre‐market environmental risk assessments of regulated stressors

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