influence of Bt-transgenic maize pollen on the bacterial diversity in the midgut of Apis mellifera ligustica

• Published in: Apidologie Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 198 - 208
• Main Authors: Geng, Li-Li, Cui, Hong-Juan, Dai, Ping-Li, Lang, Zhi-Hong, Shu, Chang-Long, Zhou, Ting, Song, Fu-Ping, Zhang, Jie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Springer-Verlag 01.03.2013; EDP Sciences; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: adults; adverse effects; Agricultural sciences; Animal biology; Animal production studies; Animal productions; Apiculture; Apis mellifera ligustica; bacteria; bacterial communities; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; community structure; corn; denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; direct contact; Ecology, environment; Entomology; field experimentation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genes; honey bees; Insecta; Invertebrate Zoology; Invertebrates; larvae; Life Sciences; midgut; Original Article; plasmids; pollen; sugars; syrups; Terrestrial animal productions; worker bees; denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; transgenic maize; intestinal community; Entomopathogen; Monocotyledones; Midgut; Insecta; Bacillus thuringiensis; Apidae; Bacillaceae; Apis mellifera ligustica; Cereal crop; Apis mellifera; Species diversity; Bacillales; Gramineae; Apoidea; Angiospermae; Bacteria; Associated microflora; Transgenic plant; Pollen; Biopesticide; Aculeata; Zea mays; Social insect; Pollinator; Arthropoda; Spermatophyta; Hymenoptera; Invertebrata; Genetically modified organism; Microbial insecticide
• ISSN: 0044-8435; 1297-9678
• DOI: 10.1007/s13592-012-0171-8

Honeybees are subjected to direct contact with transgenic maize pollen due to their feeding activities on pollen. The potential side effects of transgenic cry1Ah-maize pollen on the midgut bacteria of the larvae and worker bees of Apis mellifera ligustica were investigated through denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis under both laboratory and field conditions. Newly emerged bees were fed transgenic cry1Ah-maize pollen, normal maize pollen, linear cry1Ah gene DNA, supercoiled plasmid DNA, and sugar syrup under the laboratory conditions. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the midgut bacterial community composition among the five treatments. No significant effects were observed in the midgut communities between larvae and adult honeybees fed transgenic cry1Ah-maize pollen and non-transgenic maize pollen in the field trials.