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Living Modified Organism (LMO)
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BCH-LMO-SCBD-269726-1   |   PDF   |   Print   |  
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Decisions on the LMO Risk Assessments  
last updated: 04 Jun 2024
Living Modified Organism identity
The image below identifies the LMO through its unique identifier, trade name and a link to this page of the BCH. Click on it to download a larger image on your computer. For help on how to use it go to the LMO quick-links page.
Insect-resistant maize
EN
MIR604 × MON89034
Yes
SYN-IR6Ø4-5 × MON-89Ø34-3
The maize (Zea mays) was produced through crossing modified parental lines for resistance to insect pests. For protection from Lepidoptera insects, the maize expresses Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2 proteins, which have a pore-forming mode of action that selectively damages the midgut epithelium line of feeding larvae. For resistance to Coleoptera pests, the modified maize expresses B. thuringiensis mCry3A, which also has a pore forming mode of action. In addition, the modified maize also contains a gene cassette for Escherichia coli phosphomannose isomerase, which was used as a selectable marker during transformation of one of the parental lines, which allowed for the transformants to tolerate the presence of mannose.
EN
The term “Recipient organism” refers to an organism (either already modified or non-modified) that was subjected to genetic modification, whereas “Parental organisms” refers to those that were involved in cross breeding or cell fusion.
  • BCH-ORGA-SCBD-246-6 Organism Zea mays (Maize, Corn, MAIZE)
    Crops
  • BCH-LMO-SCBD-15105-12 Living Modified Organism SYN-IR6Ø4-5 - Agrisure™ RW Rootworm-Protected maize
    Resistance to diseases and pests (Insects, Coleoptera (beetles))
  • BCH-LMO-SCBD-43773-18 Living Modified Organism MON-89Ø34-3 - YieldGard™ VT Pro™
    Resistance to diseases and pests (Insects, Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths))
EN
Characteristics of the modification process
pZM26; PV-ZMIR245
EN
  • Cross breeding
Some of these genetic elements may be present as fragments or truncated forms. Please see notes below, where applicable.
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-103881-2 Metallothionein-like gene promoter | Zea mays (Maize, Corn, MAIZE)
    Promoter
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-43634-3 mCry3A | Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt, Bacillus, BACTU)
    Protein coding sequence | Resistance to diseases and pests (Insects, Coleoptera (beetles), Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera))
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100269-8 Nopaline Synthase Gene Terminator | Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Agrobacterium)
    Terminator
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100362-7 Ubiquitin gene promoter | Zea mays (Maize, Corn, MAIZE)
    Promoter
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-103627-5 Ubiquitin Intron 1 | Zea mays (Maize, Corn, MAIZE)
    Intron
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-15003-7 Phosphomannose Isomerase gene | Escherichia coli (ECOLX)
    Protein coding sequence | Mannose tolerance,Selectable marker genes and reporter genes
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100366-6 CaMV Enhanced 35S promoter | Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV)
    Promoter
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100354-6 5' untranslated leader from chlorophyll a/b-binding protein | Triticum aestivum (Wheat)
    Leader sequence
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100355-6 Rice actin 1, intron | Oryza sativa (Rice, ORYSA)
    Intron
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-43771-9 Cry1A.105 | Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt, Bacillus, BACTU)
    Protein coding sequence | Resistance to diseases and pests (Insects, Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths))
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100356-6 Heat shock protein 17.3 terminator | Triticum aestivum (Wheat)
    Terminator
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-101507-5 FMV 34S promoter | Figwort mosaic virus (Figwort mottle virus, FMV, CMoVb)
    Promoter
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100359-7 Hsp70 intron | Zea mays (Maize, Corn, MAIZE)
    Intron
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100360-4 Transit peptide and first intron of Rubisco SSU | Zea mays (Maize, Corn, MAIZE)
    Transit signal
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-14988-7 Cry2Ab2 | Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt, Bacillus, BACTU)
    Protein coding sequence | Resistance to diseases and pests (Insects, Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths))
DNA insert from MIR604 (SYN-IR6Ø4-5) vector pZM26
The parental plant contains two expression cassettes: (i) modified Cry3a (mcry3a) originally from Bacillus thuringiensis and (ii) phosphomannose isomerase (pmi) from Escherichia coli.

Expression mcry3a is under control of a Zea mays metallothionein-like gene promoter and an Agrobacterium tumefaciens nopaline synthase (nos) terminator. Transcription of pmi is under the control of Z. mays ubiquitin gene promoter and an A. tumefaciens nos terminator. The transcript initially also contains an intron from Z. mays ubiquitin-1 to enhance gene expression.
 
Note:
  • mcry3a was originally obtained from the native cry3A gene, but was modified to enhance gene expression in maize. The synthetic version of the protein (mCry3a) contains the same amino acid sequences of the native version, except for the modified serine-protease recognition site.
  • The following changes in the pmi occurred: the valine at position 61 has been substituted by alanine (V61A) and glutamine at position 210 has been substituted by histidine (Q210H). Please note no apparent change of function occurred.
  • Southern blot and qPCR analysis indicated that a single insertion of both expression cassettes occurred and there was no integration of the vector backbone.

 DNA insert from MON89034 (MON-89Ø34-3) vector PV-ZMIR245:
Maize line MON89034 expresses two Bt-toxins encoded by Bacillus thuringiensis cry1A.105  and cry2Ab2.

Transcription of cry1A.105 begins at the Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) Enhanced 35S promoter and finishes at the wheat (Triticum aestivum) wheat heat shock protein 17.3 terminator. The transcript initially includes (5' to 3'): wheat 5' untranslated leader from the chlorophyll a/b-binding protein, Oryza sativa (rice) actin 1 intron and cry1A.105. The wheat 5' untranslated leader sequence and the rice intron enhance the expression of cry1A.105.

Transcription of cry2Ab2 commences from the Figwort mosaic virus (FMV) 34S promoter and terminates at the Agrobacterium tumefaciens nopaline synthase (nos) terminator. The transcript initially includes (5' to 3'): maize heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) intron, maize transit peptide and first intron from the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase and cry2Ab32. The hsp70 regulates and enhances gene expression, while the transit peptide targets Cry2Ab2 to the chloroplast.
 
Note:
  • The viral promoters are expected to be constitutively active and promote high levels of transcription.
  • The coding sequence of cry2Ab2 was codon-optimized for expression within plant systems.
  • A second T-DNA insertion (containing CaMV 35S promoter, Escherichia coli neomycin phosphotransferase and A. tumefaciens nos  terminator) was initially inserted into the genome for kanamycin selection during transformation. However, once transformants were regenerated, the selectable marker was bred out of the parental line using convention breeding techniques.
  •  Southern blot analyses indicated a single copy of the cry1A.105 and the cry2Ab2 cassettes. No backbone plasmid DNA or nptII sequences were detected. PCR and DNA sequence analyses provided the complete DNA sequence of the insert and confirmed the organization of the elements within the insert. Furthermore, sequence analysis indicated that MON89034 no longer has the duplicated enhancer elements compared to the original e35S promoter in PV-ZMIR245, possibly due to a recombination event that resulted in its deletion.
 
For more information, kindly refer to the parental LMO records.
EN
LMO characteristics
EN
  • Feed
  • Food
Additional Information
EN
Records referencing this document Show in search
Record type Field Record(s)
Country's Decision or any other Communication LMO identification 1
Risk Assessment generated by a regulatory process Living modified organism(s) 1

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