GM Crop Database

Database Product Description

MON863 x NK603 (MON-ØØ863-5 x MON-ØØ6Ø3-6)

Host Organism

Zea mays (Maize)

Trait

Resistance to coleopteran pests and glyphosate herbicide tolerance

Trait Introduction

Traditional plant breeding and selection

Proposed Use

Production for human consumption and livestock feed.

Product Developer

Monsanto Company

Summary of Regulatory Approvals

Introduction Expand

This stacked maize hybrid is a product of traditional plant breeding, and is therefore not automatically subject to regulation in all countries, unlike transgenic plants resulting from recombinant-DNA technologies. The approvals table above does not include entries from these countries. Other countries may request notification in advance of the release of a stacked hybrid, or may request information to conduct an environmental and food safety assessment, and these countries’ decisions are reflected in the approvals table.

Summary of Introduced Genetic Elements Expand

Code	Name	Type	Promoter, other	Terminator	Copies	Form
nptII	neomycin phosphotransferase II	SM	CaMV 35S	A. tumefaciens nopaline synthase (nos) 3'-untranslated region	1	The nptII cassette also contains 153 bp portion of bleomycin binding protein gene
cry3Bb1	cry3Bb1 delta-endotoxin	IR	4-AS1 (single CaMV 35S plus four repeats of activating sequence) 5' untranslated leader sequence from wheat chlorphyll a/b binding protein, and rice actin intron	3' untranslated sequence of wheat heat shock protein 17.3 (tahsp17)	1	Addition of alanine residue at position 2 of protein
CP4 epsps	5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3-phosphate synthase	HT	P-ract1/ract1 intron containing rice actin 1 promoter, transcription start site chloroplast transit peptide from A. thaliana EPSPS gene (CTP2)	A. tumefaciens nopaline synthase (nos) 3'-untranslated region	1	CP4 EPSPS gene modified for plant-preferred codons
CP4 epsps	5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3-phosphate synthase	HT	enhanced CaMV 35S, maize HSP70 intron chloroplast transit peptide from A. thaliana EPSPS gene (CTP2)	A. tumefaciens nopaline synthase (nos) 3'-untranslated region	1	CP4 EPSPS gene modified for plant-preferred codons

Characteristics of Zea mays (Maize) Expand

Center of Origin	Reproduction	Toxins	Allergenicity
Mesoamerican region, now Mexico and Central America	Cross-pollination via wind-borne pollen is limited, pollen viability is about 30 minutes. Hybridization reported with teosinte species and rarely with members of the genus Tripsacum.	No endogenous toxins or significant levels of antinutritional factors.	Although some reported cases of maize allergy, protein(s) responsible have not been identified.

Donor Organism Characteristics Expand

Latin Name	Gene	Pathogenicity
Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kumamotoensis	cry3Bb1	While coleopterans are susceptible to oral doses of Cry3Bb1 protein, there is no evidence of toxic effects in laboratory mammals or birds. There are no significant mammalian toxins or allergens associated with the host organism.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain CP4	CP4 epsps	Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a common soil bacterium that is responsible for causing crown gall disease in susceptible plants. There have been no reports of adverse effects on humans or animals.

Modification Method Expand

Coming soon. 

Characteristics of the Modification Expand

Coming soon. 

Environmental Safety Considerations Expand

Coming soon. 

Food and/or Feed Safety Considerations Expand

Coming soon.

Abstract Collapse

MON863 X NK603 OECD identifier: MON-ØØ863-5 x MON-ØØ6Ø3-6) maize is an F1 hybrid resulting from the hybridization of the insect-resistant maize inbred line MON863 (MON-ØØ863-5) and the herbicide-tolerant maize inbred line NK603 (MON-ØØ6Ø3-6). This stacked maize hybrid is a product of traditional plant breeding, and therefore is not automatically subject to regulation in all jurisdictions as are transgenic plants resulting from recombinant DNA technologies. Certain jurisdictions may request notification in advance of the release of a stacked hybrid, or may request information to conduct an environmental and food safety assessment. Examples of jurisdictions that require either notification or information about stacked hybrids prior to their release into the environment, and for use in human food and livestock feed are Canada and Japan.

The stacked hybrid MON863 X NK603 expresses two novel proteins: the delta-endotoxin Cry3Bb1, which is insecticidal to coleopterans such as the Corn Rootworm, and CP4 EPSPS which confers tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate. The CP4 EPSPS protein is produced by the cp4 epsps gene from NK603, and the insecticidal protein Cry3Bb1, by the cry3Bb1 gene from MON863. The novel traits of each parent line have therefore been combined, using traditional plant breeding methods, to produce this new hybrid. For a full description of each parent line please refer to the individual product descriptions in the crop database for MON863 and NK603.
The inserted genes and their gene products have a history of safe use, and have undergone review and approval by several regulatory agencies. No interactions among the gene products or negative synergistic effects are expected in the stacked hybrid. The Cry3Bb protein is not an enzyme and therefore does not affect plant metabolism. The CP4 EPSPS has high affinity for its substrates phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and shikimate-3-phosphate, which are part of the shikimate metabolic pathway. CP4 EPSPS and Cry3Bb are therefore not expected to interact within nor affect the metabolism of the stacked hybrid. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated that no toxic or allergenic products were formed as a result of the hybridization.

Links to Further Information Expand

COGEM: Commissie Genetische Modificatie

• Import and processing of insect resistant and herbicide tolerant maize MON863 x NK603
  [PDF Size: 116.77K bytes]

European Commission: Community Register of GM Food and Feed

• Notification of the placing on the Community Register of MON-ØØ863-5 x MON-ØØ6Ø3-6
  [PDF Size: 14.53K bytes]

Japanese Biosafety Clearing House, Ministry of Environment

• Outline of the Biological Diversity Risk Assessment Report: Type 1 Use for MON-00863-5 x MON-00603-6 insect resistant and herbicide tolerant maize
  [PDF Size: 326.92K bytes]

Philippines Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry

• Determination of the Safety of Monsanto’s Combined trait product corn: NK 603 x MON 863 for Direct Use as Food, Feed, and Processing
  [PDF Size: 24.59K bytes]

This record was last modified on Monday, May 8, 2017