Changes in bacillus thuringiensis tolerance levels due to hybridization of Bt-tolerant and susceptible silkworm populations

Males and females of a Bt-tolerant mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) population were crossed with females and males of a Bt-susceptible population, to produce Bt-tolerant silkworm hybrids, and to determine the expression of the Bt-tolerance pattern in the Fl hybrids. It was observed that when a Bt-tolerant (42% larval mortality) female (BtT ♀) silkworm was crossed with a Bt-susceptible (85% larval mortality) male (BtS ♂, the resultant Fl offspring showed lower levels of Bt-tolerance (87% larval mortality). On the other hand, when a Bt-tolerant male (BtT ♂ was crossed with a Bt-susceptible female (BtS ♀, the F1 hybrid showed higher levels of Bt-tolerance (35% larval mortality) characteristic. The probit statistics showed that both hybrids expressed Bt-tolerance or susceptible levels similar to their male parents. These different patterns of Bt-tolerance in Fl hybrids might be due to the transferring of a Bttolerant gene, from the parents to offspring, through the homozygotic male (ZZ) silkworm.