The following note is by a biochemically-oriented professor emeritus of genetics who is also one of the more experienced critics of GM. R October 10, 2002 Prof. Joe Cummins e-mail: [log in to unmask] Honey Bees and the toxicity of genetically modified crops Genetically modified (GM) crops incorporate novel changes in the genetics of crops. Bees have an essential but subtle relationship to the crops and to the environment. It is essential that GM crops should not damage the bees and if commercial GM crops are found to injure bees that those crops be removed from production. GM crops can affect bees directly or indirectly through affecting flowering or pollen production or biochemical composition. A good deal of effort has been directed to evaluating the impact of GM crops, particularly those crops genetically engineered to contain insect toxins or toxins of fungi which have components such as chitin which are common to fungi and arthropods. The results of such studies have uncovered important threats to bees but the evidence of injury to bees did not seem to influence the release of crops capable of injuring bees for commercial production. Studies on the impact of GM crops on bees included both behavior and toxicity studies of the GM crops and studies of the purified toxins produced in GM crops. A number of excellent reviews of studies of the impact of GM crops or their toxins have been published (1,2,3). The effect of insect toxins called protease inhibitors has been studied in bee larvae (4) and the effect of a protease inhibitor (trypsin inhibitor) on bee flight and longevity (5). The results of the studies suggest that GM crops modified with _Bacillus thuringiensis_ (Bt) toxins have little or no effect on bees, as does the enzyme chitinase while protease inhibitors consistently have detrimental impacts and the glucanase enzyme modification to resist fungi also was found to affect bees detrimentally. The Bt toxin gene modifications are designated Cry ; there are numerous alleles and these have distinct characteristics. Cry 1 alleles were studied extesively along with Cry 9C and Cry 3B; Cry II and CryV alleles have not yet been reported but probably should. Heretofore the Cry genes have not proven detrimental to bees. In contrast the protease inhibitors proved to be detrimental to the longevity and behavior of bees. Chitinase (protection from insects and fungi) did not prove detrimental to bees while glucanase (protection from fungi) effected conditioned responses in bees. Of the GM toxins genes in crops released for commercial production in the United States only the Bt Cry genes and the protease inhibitors seen widespread release. The GM crops with protease inhibitors released for commercial production included potato, canola (rapeseed) and creeping bentgrass (6). The sound and logical approach would be to totally ban commercial production of GM crops modified with protease inhibitor genes to protect bees and to prevent long term damage to the entire environment. Those crops released for commercial production containing the protease inhibitor gene should be withdrawn. The impact of all GM releases on bees should be carefull studied prior to release and crops injuring bees should not be released for production. References 1. Malone,L and Pham-Delegue,M ìEffect of transgene products on honey bees and bumblebeesî 2001 Apidologie 32,287-304 2. Malone,L,Burgess,E,Philip,B,Tregida,E and Todd,J ìDo GM crops and their products have side effects on bees and bumblebees?î 2001 Apimondia ISBN:0-620-27768-8 Proc 37th Int Apic,28Oct-1Nov 2001 Durban,South Africa 3. Picard-Nizou,A,Grison,R,Olsen,L,Pioche,C,Arnold,G and Pham-Delegue,M ìImpact of proteins used in plant genetic engineering: toxicity and behavioral study in the honeybeeî1997 J Econ Entomology 90,1710-16 4. Brodsgaard,H,Brodsgaard,C,Hansen,H and Lovei,G ìEnvironmental risk assessement of transgenic plants using honey bee larvaeî 2001 Apimondia ISBN:0-620-27768-8 Proc 37th Int Apic,28Oct-1Nov 2001 Durban,South Africa 5. Malone,E,Burgess,E, Gatehouse,H,Voisy,C,Tregida,E and Philip,B ìEffect of ingestion of a Bacillus thuringiernsis toxin and a trypsin inhibitor on honey bee flight activity and longevityî 2001 Apidologie 32,57-68 6. Crops No Longer Regulated By USDA http://www.nbiap.vt.edu/cfdocs/biopetitions1.cfm