Transgenic rice plants expressing a trypsin inhibitor are resistant against rice stem borers, <i>Chilo suppressalis</i>

Abstract

Abstract A synthetic gene, mwti1b , coding for a winged bean trypsin inhibitor WTI‐1B, has been introduced and expressed in rice plants, Oryza sativa . Protein extracts from transgenic rice plants expressing the trypsin inhibitor inhibited the gut proteases of larvae of the serious insect pest, the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in vitro . The growth of larvae reared on transgenic rice plants expressing WTI‐1B at more than 1 ng/10 μg total protein was significantly retarded compared to that on non‐transgenic control plants.