<p style="text-align: justify;">Maize line MON80100 was developed through a specific genetic modification to be resistant to attack by European corn borer (ECB; <i>Ostrinia nubilalis</i>), a major insect pest of maize in agriculture. The novel variety produced the insecticidal protein, Cry1Ab, derived from <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> subsp. kurstaki (B.t.k.). Delta-endotoxins, such as the Cry1Ab protein expressed in MON80100, act by selectively binding to specific sites localized on the brush border midgut epithelium of susceptible insect species. Following binding, cation-specific pores are formed that disrupt midgut ion flow and thereby cause paralysis and death. Cry1Ab is insecticidal only to lepidopteran insects, and its specificity of action is directly attributable to the presence of specific binding sites in the target insects. There are no binding sites for delta-endotoxins of <i>B. thuringiensis</i> on the surface of mammalian intestinal cells, therefore, livestock animals and humans are not susceptible to these proteins.</p>
