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Field-evolved resistance to Bt toxins

Nature Biotechnology volume 26, pages 1072–1074 (2008)Cite this article

To the Editor:

An article by Tabashnik et al.1 in your February issue states that, for the first time, the frequency of resistant alleles has increased substantially and that there is field-evolved Bacillus thuringiensis toxin (Bt) resistance in bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), in the United States because of the extensive use of Bt cotton. Tabashnik et al. base their conclusions on two publications by Randy Luttrell's laboratory in which Cry1Ac toxicity to numerous H. zea populations was evaluated: Luttrell et al.2 (before introduction of Bt cotton) and Ali et al.3 (after introduction of Bt cotton).

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Auburn University, Entomology and Plant Pathology, 301 Funchess Hall, Auburn, 36849-5413, Alabama, USA

    Willam Moar

  2. Melbourne School of Land and Environment, Building 142, Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia

    Rick Roush

  3. Department of Entomology, Cornell University, NYSAES, PO Box 462, 630 W. North St., Geneva, 14456, New York, USA

    Anthony Shelton

  4. University of Valencia, Genetics, Dr. Moliner 50, Valencia, Spain

    Juan Ferré

  5. MacIntosh & Associates, Inc., 1203 Hartford Avenue, Saint Paul, 55116-1622, Minnesota, USA

    Susan MacIntosh

  6. Louisiana State University, Northeast Region/Dept. of Entomology, 212 Macon Ridge Rd., Winnsboro, 71295, Louisiana, USA

    B Rogers Leonard

  7. USDA Agricultural Research Service, Southern Insect Management Research Unit, 141 Experiment Station Road, Stoneville, 38776, Mississippi, USA

    Craig Abel

Authors
  1. Willam Moar
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  2. Rick Roush
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  3. Anthony Shelton
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  4. Juan Ferré
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  5. Susan MacIntosh
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  6. B Rogers Leonard
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  7. Craig Abel
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Competing interests

Although the preparation of this article was not financially supported by organizations that may gain or lose financially through its publication, various co-authors have received financial support for other research or consulting from companies including Monsanto, Bayer CropScience, Dow AgroScience, Pioneer/DuPont and Cotton Inc. In addition, one of the author (W.M.) is coauthor of a patent (US pat. no. 7,294,506) for hyperexpression of a Bt protein in plants, which is related to published research (Nat. Biotech. 19, 71–74, 2001).

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Moar, W., Roush, R., Shelton, A. et al. Field-evolved resistance to Bt toxins. Nat Biotechnol 26, 1072–1074 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1008-1072

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