Release of Larvicidal Cry Proteins in Root Exudates of Transgenic Bt Plants

By Deepak Saxena and Guenther Stotzky

Transgenic plants engineered to express larvicidal Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) can reduce the use of broad-spectrum chemical insecticides. However, there is some concern that Bt toxins (Cry proteins)released to soil may pose risks to the environment. To determine whether the release of Cry proteins in root exudates is a common phenomenon in transgenic Bt plants, the release of different Cry proteins in the root exudates of Bt corn, rice, potato, canola, cotton, and tobacco was evaluated.

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