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Changes in Germination and Physiochemical Properties of Transgenic cry1Ab/cry1Ac Gene Rice During Long-Term Storage

¹Institute of Urban Pests, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China. ²Corresponding author. Phone: +8602787281218. Fax: +8602787282130. E-mail: huahongxia@mail.hzau.edu.cn

The changes in germination, free fatty acid (FFA), and viscosity of the transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice expressing the cry1Ab/cry1Ac gene and its associated Bt protein were observed at three-month intervals during 24 months of storage at ambient temperature and relative humidity. After nine months of storage, FFA of transgenic Bt rice was significantly lower than that of nontransgenic rice, while germination was significantly higher. Rates of change of FFA and germination in transgenic rice were lower than in nontransgenic rice. The content of Bt protein in the husk and in the brown rice both decreased 80% during 24 months of storage. Our observations suggest that transgenic Bt rice used in this study had long-term storability.