Effects of ingestion of a biotin-binding protein on adult and larval honey bees

• DOI: 10.1051/apido:2002030
• Publication Date: 2003-06-18T04:12:31Z
• Authors: Louise A. Malone; Emma L. Tregidga; Jacqui H. Todd; Elisabeth P.J. Bu...; Bruce A. Philip; Ngaire P. Markwick; Joanne Poulton; John T. Christeller; Melissa T. Lester; Heather S. Gatehouse
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 01 natural sciences

The insecticidal properties of biotin-binding proteins (BBPs) have recently been exploited in transgenic plants. As BBPs have a broad spectrum of insect toxicity, their potential impacts on non-target in- sects such as honey bees need to be assessed. In this study, the effects of feeding a purified BBP, avidin, to honey bee larvae and adults were determined. A realistic larval dosing regime was developed by estimating the pollen content of brood food in the field and adding avidin to artificial diet at rates that simulated the pres- ence of avidin-expressing transgenic pollen in brood food. Larval survival and development were unaffected by avidin in assays which simulated larvae receiving pollen expressing 0, 4 or 40 µM avidin at concentrations of 164 µg pollen per mg food for the first 2 days and 880 µg pollen per mg food thereafter. Food consumption and survival of adult bees were also unaffected by avidin added to pollen-candy at levels corresponding to pol- len expression of 0, 6.7 or 20 µM avidin. Apis mellifera / biotin-binding protein / avidin / transgenic plant