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Living Modified Organism (LMO)
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BCH-LMO-SCBD-108881-2   |   PDF   |   Print   |  
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Decisions on the LMO Risk Assessments  
published: 30 Sep 2015 last updated: 13 Jul 2026
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.
Herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant maize
EN
MON 87411
Yes
MON-87411-9
The maize (Zea mays) was modified for resistance to coleopteran insect pests and tolerance to glyphosate herbicide. To achieve Coleoptera resistance, the maize expresses the gene, the maize expresses inverted repeat sequences of the Snf7 gene designed to matching the sequence of Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera), which trigger the rootworm's RNA interference pathway response to block replication, which results in the directed degradation of the endogenous Snf7 protein and cause death upon consumption of the LM maize. The maize also expresses the cry3Bb1 gene from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kumamotoensis, which have a pore forming mode-of-action in the epithelial lining of feeding larvae. To achieve glyphosate tolerance, the maize expresses enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase, encoded by the cp4 epsps gene from Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain CP4, which has reduced binding affinity for glyphosate and allows continued synthesis of aromatic amino acids through the shikimate pathway in the presence of the herbicide. 
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.
EN
Characteristics of the modification process
PV-ZMIR10871
EN
  • Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer
Some of these genetic elements may be present as fragments or truncated forms. Please see notes below, where applicable.
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-108875-2 Snf7 coding sequence | Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Western corn rootworm, DIAVI)
    Protein coding sequence | Resistance to diseases and pests (Insects, Coleoptera (beetles), Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera))
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-14979-7 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase gene | Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Agrobacterium)
    Protein coding sequence | Resistance to herbicides (Glyphosate)
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-14993-5 Cry3Bb1 | Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt, Bacillus, BACTU)
    Protein coding sequence | Resistance to diseases and pests (Insects, Coleoptera (beetles))
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100366-6 CaMV Enhanced 35S promoter | Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV)
    Promoter
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100359-7 Hsp70 intron | Zea mays (Maize, Corn, MAIZE)
    Intron
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-101877-5 rbcS-E9 gene terminator | Pisum sativum (Garden pea, PEA)
    Terminator
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-108876-1 pIIG gene promoter | Zea mays (Maize, Corn, MAIZE)
    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-100356-6 Heat shock protein 17.3 terminator | Triticum aestivum (Wheat)
    Terminator
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-108877-1 Alpha Tubulin Gene promoter | Oryza sativa (Rice, ORYSA)
    Promoter
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100365-6 Chloroplast transit peptide 2 | Arabidopsis thaliana (Thale cress, Mouse-ear cress, Arabidopsis, ARATH)
    Transit signal
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-108880-1 Alpha Tubulin Gene terminator | Oryza sativa (Rice, ORYSA)
    Terminator
Information about the inserted DNA sequences
The transforming plasmid for maize MON-87411-9 comprised three cassettes: two expression cassettes for the cry3Bb1 gene that produces a modified Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kumamotoensis and the cp4 epsps gene from Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain CP4, and a DvSnf7 suppression cassette that expresses an inverted repeat sequence designed to match the sequence of Western corn rootworm (WCR; Diabrotica virgifera virgifera).
(1) The cry3Bb1 gene is under the regulation of the physical impedance induced protein gene promoter (pIIG) derived from Zea mays and Heat shock protein 17.3 terminator from Triticum aestivum. A 5' untranslated leader from chlorophyll a/b-binding protein from Triticum aestivum and an intron from Oryza sativa (rice actin intron 1) were included to enhance expression of the cry1A.105 sequence from Bacillus thuringiensis.
(2) The cp4 epsps gene is under the regulation of the Oryza sativa alpha tubulin promoter and terminator. The chloroplast transit peptide 2 from Arabidopsis thaliana was included to direct the produced protein to the chloroplast and to enhance expression of the cp4 epsps sequence from Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
(3) The DvSnf7 RNA interference (RNAi) suppression cassette is under control of a Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and the Pisum sativum ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase small subunit (rbcS-E9) gene terminator. The coding sequence from this cassette contains two complementary (inverted) sequences (DvSnf7p) with homology to DvSnf7. 

Note
  • The DvSnf7p sequence is the partial coding sequence of the Snf7 gene from Diabrotica virgifera virgifera encoding the SNF7 subunit of the ESCRT-III complex. The DvSnf7 suppression cassette contains two 240 bp DvSnf7p sequences in an inverted orientation. There is an intervening sequence of 150 nucleotides between the two DvSnf7p sequences. When the suppression cassette is transcribed, the RNA expressed forms a hairpin loop thereby allowing the formation of double stranded DvSnf7 RNA. The DvSnf7p sequences in the suppression cassette produce a 240 bp double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that upon transcription triggers the RNAi mechanism.
    • Upon transcription, the DvSnf7 sequences base pair due to complementarity (sense-antisense orientations), while the additional sequences initially form a loop. Following the base pairing and the splicing (due to the intron sequences present), a double stranded, hairpin RNA structure is formed. This will trigger an RNAi response in the cell, which will process the hairpin RNA into small interfering RNA. Thus, no protein is expected to be translated from this cassette, including the chloramphenicol-acetyl-transferase. Due to the nature of the Cauliflower mosaic virus promoter, high levels of transcription are expected from this gene cassette.
    • The expression of the suppression cassette results in the formation of a dsRNA transcript containing a 240 bp fragment of the WCR Snf7 gene (DvSnf7). Upon consumption, the plant-produced dsRNA in MON-87411 is recognized by the WCR's RNAi machinery resulting in down regulation of the targeted DvSnf7 gene leading to CRW mortality.
  • Sequencing, PCR, and bioinformatic analysis indicated that a single, intact insert of the DvSnf7 suppression cassette and the cry3Bb1 and cp4 epsps expression cassettes were stably integrated into the maize genome. Analyses also indicated the absence of the plasmid backbone DNA in MON87411 maize.
EN
LMO characteristics
EN
Detection method(s)
EN
Additional Information
Upon transcription of the Snf7 RNAi suppression cassette, a hairpin RNA will be formed with double stranded secondary structure and then an RNA interference response will be triggered. The hairpin RNA will complex with DICER, which will cleave the hairpin RNA into small interfering RNA of 21 to 24 nucleotides in length. Following this, these double stranded small interfering RNAs will then associate with ARGONAUTE, which will unwind the duplex, leaving one strand associated with ARGONAUTE. This protein-RNA complex is now the activated RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), which will then use the remaining strand of small interfering RNA as a guide to target messenger RNA that has sequence homology to it. Thus, the cellular response is directed at messenger RNA encoding full-length Snf7, resulting in degradation of the mRNA, reduction in the overall translation of the protein and silencing of expression of the endogenous Snf7 gene.
EN
Records referencing this document Show in search
Record type Field Record(s)
Living Modified Organism Recipient Organism or Parental Organisms 46
Living Modified Organism Related LMO(s) 1
Country's Decision or any other Communication LMO identification 14
Risk Assessment generated by a regulatory process Living modified organism(s) 12
Laboratory for detection and identification of LMOs LMO(s) detectable by the laboratory 5

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