MON88017 x MON810 is resistant to insect attack and tolerant to use of the herbicide glyphosate. The cry3Bb1 gene encodes a Coleopteran-specific insecticidal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (subsp. kumamotoensis) in order to control infestation with corn root worm, the cry1Ab gene produces the insect control protein Cry1Ab, a delta-endotoxin which is insecticidal to lepidopteran insects, and the cp4 epsps gene from the soil bacterium Agrobacterium ssp. strain CP4 provides tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate.

The cry3Bb1 gene encodes the insect control protein Cry3Bb1, a delta-endotoxin, The toxin protects the plant from the Coleopteran insects western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera), northern corn rootworm (D. barberi), and Mexican corn rootworm (D. virgifera zeae).  The cry1Ab gene produces the insect control protein Cry1Ab and protects the plant against lepidopteran insects such as the european corn borer (ECB).

Cry proteins act by selectively binding to specific sites localized on the lining of the midgut of susceptible insect species. Following binding, pores are formed that disrupt midgut ion flow, causing gut paralysis and eventual death due to bacterial sepsis. Cry3Bb1 is lethal only when eaten by Coleopteran species, including corn root worm, and its specificity of action is directly attributable to the presence of specific binding sites in the target insects. Cry1Ab is insecticidal only when eaten by the larvae of lepidopteran insects (moths and butterflies). There are no binding sites for the delta-endotoxins of B. thuringiensis on the surface of mammalian intestinal cells, therefore, livestock animals and humans are not susceptible to these proteins.

The cp4 epsps gene encodes for a form of the plant enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) that is highly tolerant to inhibition by glyphosate.

This line is a product of traditional plant breeding, and therefore is not automatically subject to regulation in all jurisdictions as are transgenic plants resulting from recombinant DNA technologies. Certain jurisdictions may request notification in advance of the release of a stacked hybrid, or may request information to conduct an environmental and food safety assessment.