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).  Cry proteins, of which Cry3Bb1 is only one, 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. 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.