Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Constitutive expression of Cry proteins in roots and border cells of transgenic cotton

  • Published:
Euphytica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Transgenic cotton plants expressing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab, from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), provide effective control of certain lepidopteran pests, however, little is known about the proteins below ground expression. We used ELISA to quantify in vitro expression of the Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab proteins in mucilage, root border cells and root tips in five transgenic cultivars of cotton compared to conventional cultivar Sicot 189. Expression of Cry proteins in roots and border cells of the transgenic cotton cultivars was constitutive and at detectable levels, with Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab protein expression ranging from <20 ppb to >100 pbb. To determine if genetically modified cotton demonstrated simple differences in properties of the root, when compared to an elite parental line (cv. Sicot 189), we enumerated border cells on seedling radicles. Border cell counts of 14 cultivars ranged from 0.2 to 1.1 × 104 cells per root tip with an average of 5 × 103 border cells. Border cell production in the transgenic cultivars was generally similar to that of both donor and elite parents, the exception being the cultivar Sicot 189, which had substantially more border cells than all of its transgenic derivatives. Comparison of border cell number with varietal disease resistance ranking found a limited relationship (r 2 = 0.65, n = 7) between border cell numbers and the commercial resistance rank against Fusarium wilt of cotton. The implications of differences in cotton cultivar border cell number and root tip expression of Cry proteins for plant–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere and the soil ecosystem are yet to be resolved.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aiken RM, Smucker AJM (1996) Root system regulation of whole plant growth. Annu Rev Phytopathol 34:325–346

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Allen S (2003) Fusarium restistance ranking protocol for cotton cultivars in Australia. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference

  • Azevedo JL, Araujo WL (2003) Genetically modified crops: environmental and human health concerns. Mutat Res 544:223–233

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baluska F, Volkmann D, Hauskrecht M, Barlow PW (1996) Root cap mucilage and extracellular calcium as modulators of cellular growth in postmitotic growth zones of the maize root apex. Bot Acta 109:25–34

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beckman CH (1987) The nature of wilt diseases of plants. St. Paul, Minesota, USA: APS Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Betz FS, Hammond BG, Fuchs RL (2000) Safety and advantages of Bacillus thuringiensis—protected plants to control insect pests. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 32:156–173

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bowers JE, Chapman BA, Rong JK, Paterson AH (2003) Unravelling angiosperm genome evolution by phylogenetic analysis of chromosomal duplication events. Nature 422:433–438

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brigham LA, Woo HH, Nicoll SM, Hawes MC (1995) Differential expression of proteins and messenger-RNAs from border cells and root-tips of pea. Plant Physiol 109: 457–463

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brigham LA, Woo HH, Wen F, Hawes MC (1998) Meristem-specific suppression of mitosis and a global switch in gene expression in the root cap of pea by endogenous signals. Plant Physiol 118:1223–1231

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bruinsma M, Kowalchuk GA, Van Veen JA (2003) Effects of genetically modified plants on microbial communities and processes in soil. Biol Fertil Soils 37:329–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitt GP (2000) An Australian approach to IPM in cotton: integrating new technologies to minimise insecticide dependence. Crop Prot 19:793–800

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gazaway WS, Mclean KS (2003) A survey of plant-parasitic nematodes associated with cotton in Alabama. J Cotton Sci 7:1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg NP, Hawes MC, Stanghellini ME (1989) Specific attraction to and infection of cotton root cap cells by zoospores of Pythium dissotocum. Can J Bot-Rev Can Bot 67:1760–1767

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gunawardena U, Hawes MC (2002) Tissue specific localization of root infection by fungal pathogens: role of root border cells. Mol Plant-Microbe Interact 15:1128–1136

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gunawardena U, Rodriguez M, Straney D, Romeo JT, VanEtten HD, Hawes MC (2005) Tissue-specific localization of pea root infection by Nectria haematococca. Mechanisms and consequences. Plant Physiol 137(4):1363–1374

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VVSR, Roberts GN, Neate SN, Crisp P, McClure S, Watson SK (2001) Impact of Bt-cotton on biological processes in Australian soils. In: Akhurst RJ, Beard CE, Hughes P (eds) Proceedings of the 4th Pacific Rim conference on the biotechnology of Bt-environmental impacts. CSIRO, Australia pp. 191–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VVSR, Watson SK (2004) Ecological impacts of GM cotton on soil biodiversity. A final report for the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage by CSIRO Land and Water. Glen Osmond, SA

  • Haberlandt G (1914) Physiological plant anatomy London: McMillan and Co

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawes MC, Bengough G, Cassab G, Ponce G (2003) Root caps and rhizosphere. J Plant Growth Regul 21:352–367

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hawes MC, Brigham LA, Wen F, Woo HH, Zhu Y (1998) Function of root border cells in plant health: pioneers in the rhizosphere. Annu Rev Phytopathol 36:311–327

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hawes MC, Gunawardena U, Miyasaka S, Zhao X (2000) The role of root border cells in plant defence. Trends Plant Sci 5:128–133

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koenning SR, Overstreet C, Noling JW, Donald PA, Becker JO, Fortnum BA (1999) Survey of crop losses in response to phytoparasitic nematodes in the United States for 1994. J Nematol 31:587–618

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kowalchuk GA, Bruinsma M, Van Veen JA (2003) Assessing responses of soil microorganisms to GM plants. Trends Ecol Evol 18:403–410

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monsanto Australia Limited (2003) Bollgard II Cotton Technical Manual

  • Nehl DB, Allen SJ, Brown JF (1997) Deleterious rhizosphere bacteria: an integrating perspective. Appl Soil Ecol 5:1–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson AF, Cook CG (2001) Root-knot and reniform nematode reproduction on kenaf and sunn hemp compared with that on nematode resistant and susceptible cotton. Ind Crop Prod 13:249–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodger S, Bengough AG, Griffiths BS, Stubbs V, Young IM (2003) Does the presence of detached root border cells of Zea mays alter the activity of the pathogenic nematode Meloidogyne incognita? Phytopathology 93:1111–1114

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-Galvez E, Mendgen K (1995) The infection process of Fusarium oxysporum in cotton root tips. Protoplasma 189:61–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saxena D, Stewart CN, Altosaar I, Shu Q, Stotzky G (2004) Larvicidal Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis are released in root exudates of transgenic B. thuringiensis corn, potato, and rice but not of B. thuringiensis canola, cotton, and tobacco. Plant Physiol Biochem 42:383–387

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saxena D, Stotzky G (2001) Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin released from root exudates and biomass of Bt corn has no apparent effect on earthworms, nematodes, protozoa, bacteria, and fungi in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 33: 1225–1230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sherwood RT (1987) Papilla formation in corn root-cap cells and leaves inoculated with Colletotrichum graminicola. Phytopathology 77:930–934

    Google Scholar 

  • Sims SR (1995) Bacillus thuringiensis var Kurstaki [CryIa(C)] protein expressed in transgenic cotton: effects on beneficial and other non-target insects. Southwest Entomol 20: 493–500

    Google Scholar 

  • Sisterson M, Biggs R, Olson C, Carriere Y, Dennehy T, Tabashnik B (2004) Arthropod abundance and diversity in Bt and non-Bt cotton fields. Environ Entomol 33:921–929

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao X, Schmitt M, Hawes MC (2000) Species dependent effects of border cell and root tip exudates on nematode behavior. Phytopathology 90:1239–1245

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was carried out under funding provided by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation, and with the support of CSIRO Entomology, Land and Water, and Plant Industry, and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The help of Dr Stephen Allen and Mr Brett Ross (Cotton Seed Distributors, Wee Waa, Australia) is acknowledged for providing disease resistance rankings for commercially unavailable cotton cultivars and help with ELISA.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Entomology, Locked Bag 59, Narrabri, NSW, 2390, Australia

    Oliver G. G. Knox

  2. CSIRO Entomology, PMB2, Glen Osmond, SA, 5064, Australia

    Vadakattu V. S. R. Gupta

  3. NSW DPI, Locked Bag 1000, Narrabri, NSW, 2390, Australia

    David B. Nehl

  4. Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre, Locked Bag 1001, Narrabri, NSW, 2390, Australia

    David B. Nehl

  5. CSIRO Plant Industry, Locked Bag 59, Narrabri, NSW, 2390, Australia

    Warwick N. Stiller

Authors
  1. Oliver G. G. Knox
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vadakattu V. S. R. Gupta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David B. Nehl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Warwick N. Stiller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Oliver G. G. Knox.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Knox, O.G.G., Gupta, V.V.S.R., Nehl, D.B. et al. Constitutive expression of Cry proteins in roots and border cells of transgenic cotton. Euphytica 154, 83–90 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-006-9272-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-006-9272-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation