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QUANTIFICATION IN SOIL OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS VAR. KURSTAKI DELTA-ENDOTOXIN FROM TRANSGENIC PLANTS
Citation:
Palm, C., K. Donegan, D. Harris, AND J. Seidler. QUANTIFICATION IN SOIL OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS VAR. KURSTAKI DELTA-ENDOTOXIN FROM TRANSGENIC PLANTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-94/344 (NTIS PB94210515), 1994.
Description:
Transgenic plants that produce pesticidal proteins have the potential to release these products into the environment when the plants are incorporated into soil. his could result in novel exposure of soil organisms to these pesticidal proteins. here is a lack of knowledge about the fate and persistence of transgenic pesticidal products in the soil. odel system of transgenic cotton, which produces Bacillus thuringiensis kurstake Delta-endotoxin (Bt toxin), was used to address this issue. ethods were developed to quantify Btk toxin in soil and soil/plant litter by extraction of the Btk toxin with an aqueous buffer and quantification by ELISA. he highest recovery of Btk toxin from soil was obtained with a high salt, high pH buffer. n addition, for certain soil types, addition of a non-ironic detergent, Tween-20, was needed for optimal recovery. ecovery of Btk toxin from soil ranged from 60% for a low clay content, low organic matter soil to 27k for a high clay content, high organic matter soil. he limit of detection of this method is 0.5 ng of extractable toxin per g/soil. he method was shown to be useful in tracking over time the persistence of both purified and transgenic Btk toxin in laboratory experiments.