Laboratory evaluation of transgenic Populus davidiana×Populus bolleana expressing Cry1Ac + SCK, Cry1Ah3, and Cry9Aa3 genes against gypsy moth and fall webworm

Transgenic poplar lines ‘Shanxin’ (Populus davidiana×Populus bolleana) were generated via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The transgenic lines carried the expression cassettes of Cry1Ac + SCK, Cry1Ah3, and Cry9Aa3, respectively. The expression levels of the exogenous insect resistance genes in the transgenic lines were determined by Q-PCR and Western blot. Leaves of the transgenic lines were used for insect feeding bioassays on first instar larvae of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) and fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea). At 5 d of feeding, the mean mortalities of larvae feeding on Cry1Ac + SCK and Cry1Ah3 transgenic poplars leaves were 97% and 91%, while mortality on Cry9Aa3 transgenic lines was about 49%. All gypsy moth and fall webworm larvae were killed in 7–9 days after feeding on leaves from Cry1Ac + SCK or Cry1Ah3 transgenic poplars, while all the fall webworm larvae were killed in 11 days and about 80% of gypsy moth larvae were dead in 14 days after feeding on those from Cry9Aa3 transgenic lines. It was concluded that the transgenic lines of Cry1Ac + SCK and Cry1Ah3 were highly toxic to larvae of both insect species while lines with Cry9Aa3 had lower toxicity,and H. cunea larvae are more sensitive to the insecticidal proteins compared to L. dispar. Transgenic poplar lines toxic to L. dispar and H. cunea could be used to provide Lepidoptera pest resistance to selected strains of poplar trees.