Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Can transgenic maize affect soil microbial communities?

Christian Mulder1, Marja Wouterse, Markus Raubuch

  • 1Laboratory for Ecological Risk Assessment, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands. christian.mulder@rivm.nl

Plos Computational Biology
|October 3, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Land use and soil characteristics affect soil organisms differently from above-ground assemblages.

BMC ecology and evolution·2022
Same author

Ecological network complexity scales with area.

Nature ecology & evolution·2022
Same author

Global data on earthworm abundance, biomass, diversity and corresponding environmental properties.

Scientific data·2021
Same author

Biodegradation kinetics of toluene, <i>m</i>-xylene, <i>p</i>-xylene and their intermediates through the upper TOL pathway in Pseudomonas putida (pWWO).

Microbiology (Reading, England)·2021
Same author

Multiple climate-driven cascading ecosystem effects after the loss of a foundation species.

The Science of the total environment·2021
Same author

Beyond virology: environmental constraints of the first wave of COVID-19 cases in Italy.

Environmental science and pollution research international·2021

Transgenic maize residues containing the Cry1Ab protein altered soil bacterial communities, increasing respiration and microbial activity. These short-term ecological shifts in soil bacteria were observed following the addition of Bt-maize residues.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Soil Science
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Soil microbial communities play a crucial role in decomposition and nutrient cycling.
  • Transgenic crops, such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize, introduce novel proteins into agricultural ecosystems.
  • Understanding the impact of these proteins on soil microbial activity is essential for assessing ecological safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of Cry1Ab protein from transgenic maize on soil bacterial communities.
  • To assess changes in microbial community structure, function, and numerical abundance.
  • To determine the temporal effects of Bt-maize residues on soil microbial activity.

Main Methods:

  • Microcosm experiments were conducted using four Zea mays L. cultivars (conventional and Bt isolines) and bulk soil.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Soil respiration and bacterial catabolic activities were measured after the addition of crop residues.
  • Agar plate counting and BIOLOG EcoPlates were used to assess microbial abundance and functional diversity.

    • Main Results:

    • Soils amended with Bt-maize residues exhibited significantly higher respiration rates within the first 72 hours compared to conventional maize residues.
    • Bacterial colony-forming units were approximately three times higher in soils treated with transgenic straw than in those treated with conventional straw.
    • Bt-maize addition led to increased microbial consumption of carbohydrates, indicating enhanced functional activity.

    Conclusions:

    • The Cry1Ab protein in transgenic maize residues influences soil bacterial community composition and function.
    • Short-term ecological shifts in soil microbial communities are induced by Bt-maize residues.
    • These findings highlight the rapid impact of transgenic crop residues on soil bacterial populations and their activities.