Effect of genetically modified maize expressing the Cry1Ab and EPSPS proteins on growth, development, and gut bacterial diversity of the non-target arthropod Locusta migratoria

Abstract

The widespread cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops has raised concerns for their safety. Here, we evaluated the effects of a GM maize variety expressing the Cry1Ab (14.76 ± 0.87 μg/g FW) and EPSPS proteins (191.55 ± 15.69 μg/g FW) on the life-history traits and gut bacterial community of a non-target arthropod, Locusta migratoria, in the laboratory. We found that GM maize had no significant effect on the survival or body weight of different development stages of L. migratoria. The midgut and hindgut bacterial diversities and compositions were determined using high-throughput sequencing targeting the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA. No significant changes were found in the species diversity or abundance between insects in the GM-fed treatment and the non-GM control. Furthermore, the concentration of Cry1Ab and EPSPS in the gut was determined after digestion of GM maize. Results showed that the contents of Cry1Ab/EPSPS rapidly decreased and were hard to detect after 72 h. Based on the parameters assessed, we can conclude that the GM maize variety examined has no significant adverse effect on L. migratoria.

Keywords: Environmental risk assessment; Genetically modified maize; Gut bacteria; Non-target species.