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Living Modified Organism (LMO)
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Decisions on the LMO Risk Assessments  
last updated: 21 Oct 2025
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 and herbicide-tolerant maize
EN
DP51291
Yes
DP-Ø51291-2
The maize (Zea mays) was modified for resistance to insect western corn rootworm and tolerance to herbicide glufosinate. For tolerance to glufosinate herbicides, the maize expresses Streptomyces viridochromogenes phosphinothricin acetyltransferase, which inactivates phosphinothricin, the active ingredient in glufosinate ammonium herbicides. For resistance to corn rootworm larvae, the modified maize expresses the IPD072Aa protein, the protein causes cells of the midgut epithelial cells to burst, disrupting the lining and leading to death. Coleoptera species are sensitive to the protein, while lepidopteran and hemipteran species are unaffected. Expression of the PMI protein from Escherichia coli served as a selectable marker to enable selection of plants containing the desired constructs during the event development process. The modified maize DP-51291-2 was developed through the introduction of three gene expression cassettes for the expression of a phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) protein, a maize-optimized version of a phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase (mo-PAT) protein and a IPD072Aa protein.
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.
Maize inbred line PHR03, American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) deposit No. 97034
EN
  • BCH-LMO-SCBD-116060-3
    DP-Ø23211-2 - Herbicide-tolerant and insect-protected maize
    | Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. | Resistance to diseases and pests (Insects, Coleoptera (beetles), Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera)), Resistance to herbicides (Glufosinate), Tolerance to mannose
    Show detection method(s)
Characteristics of the modification process
PHP74638
EN
  • Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer
  • Biolistic / Particle gun
Some of these genetic elements may be present as fragments or truncated forms. Please see notes below, where applicable.
Information about the inserted DNA sequences
The modified maize contains three gene cassettes integrated into the maize genome, and the vector backbone contains elements necessary for the maintenance and selection of the plasmid in bacteria:
  
(1) The phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) expression cassette in PHP74638 lacks the promoter. However, following the integration in the ‘landing pad’ (refer to 'Additional information section' for information about the landing pad).The PMI expression is driven by Zea mays ubiquitin promoter ubiZM1, 5’-UTR and intron, provided by the ‘landing pad’. In PHP74638, the pmi gene contains the coding sequence from Escherichia coli, including its 5′ and 3’ UTRs, and the terminator from Solanum tuberosum (potato) proteinase inhibitor II gene (pinII). An additional terminator from the maize 19-kDa zein gene (Z19) is present to prevent transcriptional interference between cassettes.

(2) The maize-optimized version of a phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase (mo-pat) expression cassette contains the promoter and intron region of the Oryza sativa (rice) actin gene (os-actin), the maize codon-optimised coding sequence of the phosphinothricin acetyltransferase gene from Streptomyces viridochromogenes (mo-pat) and the 35S terminator region from the Cauliflower mosaic virus genome (CaMV 35S terminator). The os-actin promoter, including its native intron, directs constitutive transcription of the mo-pat coding sequence and is known for strong expression in monocotyledonous species. Two additional terminators from Sorghum bicolor ubiquitin gene (sb-ubi) and from the γ-kafirin gene (sb-gkaf) are present to prevent transcriptional interference between cassettes.

(3) The IPD072Aa expression cassette contains the promoter region from the banana streak virus Acuminata Yunnan strain [BSV (AY)], the intron from the maize ortholog of a Oryza sativa hypothetical protein (zm-HPLV9), the plant codon-optimised coding sequence of the insecticidal protein gene (ipd072Aa) from Pseudomonas chlororaphis and the terminator region from Arabidopsis thaliana at-T9 gene. Because of the constitutive viral promoter and enhancer intron, high levels of IPD072Aa protein expression are expected in vegetative tissues.

Note:
  • For more information regarding the multiple transformations of the parental line, kindly refer to the 'Additional information section';
  • Southern-by-sequencing (SbS) and PCR demonstrated that maize DP51291 contains a single, intact copy of the intended insert;
  • The total inserted DNA sequence is 12,203 base pairs in length, integrated at a single locus with no vector backbone sequences or additional T-DNA fragments;
  • The integration event caused a 113 bp deletion at the insertion site, without interruption of any maize gene coding regions;
  • Bioinformatic screening of all newly created open reading frames (≥30 amino acids) across the insert and junction regions revealed no matches to known toxins or allergens, and no biologically relevant similarity to any sequences of concern;
  • Three complete expression cassettes (pmi, mo-pat, and ipd072Aa) were confirmed in the insert, and gene expression analyses confirmed the production of the intended IPD072Aa, PAT, and PMI proteins only, with no unintended fusion or truncated proteins detected in plant tissues.
EN
LMO characteristics
EN
  • Feed
  • Food
Detection method(s)
EN
Additional Information
Three sequential transformation steps were used to construct DP-51291-2:
  1. An initial Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to insert a "landing pad" sequence into the maize genome using FRT1/FRT87 recombination where only the region between FRT1 and FRT87 from the final T-DNA (plasmid PHP74638) is integrated;
  2. A second microparticle bombardment-mediated transformation to prepare the landing pad sequence for insertion of the intended expression cassettes;
  3. A third Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to integrate the intended expression cassettes.
 
1) In the first transformation step, the T-DNA region from the plasmid PHP50742 was integrated into the genome to create an intermediate line containing a landing pad sequence, which included target sites for the Cre recombinase (i.e., two loxP sites) flanking the ip3-h5 gene cassette, and target sites for the FLP recombinase (i.e., FRT1 and FRT87) flanking the pmi and mo-pat gene cassettes.

2) In the second transformation step, a total of 5 plasmids were used to prepare the inserted landing pad site for the integration of the desired expression cassettes:
The plasmid PHP46438 contains the nptII and AmCyan1 gene cassettes flanked by FRT1 and FRT87 sites. During this transformation step, the pmi and mo-pat cassettes present in the initial landing pad sequence were replaced by the nptII and AmCyan1 cassettes from PHP46438 by Flp-FRT recombination.
  • The plasmid PHP5096 contains the maize-optimized flippase recombinase (mo-Flp) gene cassette and allowed for transient expression of the FLP recombinase during transformation but was not integrated into the maize genome;
  • The plasmid PHP16072 contains the maize-optimized Cre recombinase gene (mo-cre) and allowed for transient expression of Cre recombinase during transformation but was not integrated into the maize genome. As a result of Cre recombinase expression, the ip3-h5 gene cassette present in the initial landing pad sequence was removed by Cre-lox recombination;
  • The plasmid PHP21139 contains the zm-wus2 gene cassette and allowed for transient expression of the maize-derived WUS2 protein, used to promote improved regeneration of maize plants during transformation. No elements from PHP21139 were integrated into the maize genome.

3) In the third transformation step, the T-DNA region from the plasmid PHP74638 containing the ipd072Aa, mo-pat, and pmi gene cassettes, flanked by FRT1 and FRT87 recombination sites, was incorporated into the DP51291 genome by Flp-FRT recombination, replacing the nptII and AmCyan1 cassettes that were incorporated in the second transformation step. The zm-wus2 (Zea mays WUSCHEL2 transcription factor -WUS-), zm-odp2 (Zea mays Ovule Development Protein 2 -ODP2-), mo-Flp (maize-optimized FLP recombinase gene) and DsRed2
(modified variant of the red fluorescent protein originally derived from the coral Discosoma sp) genes on the plasmid PHP74638 were not integrated into the maize genome but were transiently expressed. WUS and ODP2 proteins allowed for improved regeneration, FLP recombinase allowed for the integration of the intended DNA cassettes and DsRed2 allowed screening for any unintended integration of DNA sequences in plant cells.
EN
Records referencing this document Show in search
Record type Field Record(s)
Risk Assessment generated by a regulatory process Living modified organism(s) 3
Country's Decision or any other Communication LMO identification 3

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