Fwd: New Terminator Crops Coming

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Sat, 12 Jul 2003 14:59:41 +0100

New Terminator Crops Coming

press-release

 

The Institute of Science in Society

Science Society Sustainability

http://www.i-sis.org.uk

 

General Enquiries sam

Website/Mailing List press-release

ISIS Director m.w.ho

===================================================

 

New Terminator Crops Coming

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Gaining control over seed production using 'terminator' genetic modification has

become a goal of genetic engineers. Prof. Joe Cummins (jcummins) and Dr.

Mae-Wan Ho (m.w.ho) alert us to some new tricks in the pipelines,

and the lies perpetrated to mislead the public.

 

The complete document with references

(http://www.i-sis.org.uk/full/NewTerminatorCropsFull.php), is available in the

ISIS members site. Full details here (http://www.i-sis.org.uk/membership.php)

 

Engineering seed control can guaranteed patent protection over a particular crop

and help to prevent transgene escape and contamination of non-GM crops, at least

in theory. Controlling pollen fertility also allows the development of hybrid

seeds that may have 'hybrid vigor' (heterosis) over non-hybrids, again, at least

in theory.

 

We have reviewed many 'terminator' systems [1-5], genetic modifications that

produce crops with infertile seeds or inactive pollen, and warned of the

problems and hazards involved. But development of such systems continues apace,

as GM proponents and governments alike have been promoting them as means of

preventing or restricting transgene escape, which is highly misleading.

 

One system under development involves regulating a nuclear gene in oilseed rape

(Brassica rapa) that controls pollen development. The gene Br DAD1 encodes an

enzyme that catalyzes the first step in the synthesis of jasmonic acid, a

growth-regulator. The absence of jasmonic acid leads to inviable pollen. The Br

DAD1 gene is down-regulated with an anti-sense gene to Br DAD1.

 

This system facilitates the production of hybrid seeds by seed companies. The

hybrid, sold to farmers, will definitely contain the anti-sense transgene as

well as antibiotic resistance marker gene(s) used in making the GM plant, so

there is no transgene containment at all.

 

For perpetuating the GM line, the down-regulated plant can be restored to

fertility with a timely spray of jasmonic acid [6], a registered plant

growth-regulator. So, after spraying, the plant will again be spreading the

anti-sense transgene and antibiotic resistance marker gene(s).

 

The other problem is that the anti-sense Br DAD1 gene is at a locus separate

from BrDAD1. Hence, the fertility of the crop will also be influenced by

recombination and segregation.

 

A second newly developed system for controlling seed production is more similar

to the original terminator system. It involves a repressible seed-lethal system

designed to prevent novel transgenic traits from spreading.

 

The system starts with a GM plant hemizygous - carrying a single copy of a gene

on one of a pair of chromosomes - for a seed-lethal gene cassette tightly linked

to the transgene coding for the novel trait (SN/-). This is crossed with a plant

homozygous - carrying two copies of a gene, one on each of a pair of chromosomes

- for a repressor R that can turn off the seed-lethal gene (R/R).

 

If SN and R are each on one of the same pair of chromosomes, the resulting F1

hybrid will be seed-fertile, though half of the offspring is SN/R and the other

half -/R. However, if selection is applied to select for the novel trait - which

may be tolerance to a particular herbicide - only SN/R plants will survive. In

practice, a farmer will have to sow twice as many seeds to achieve the density

of plants required.

 

If the F1 plants (SN/R) is self-pollinated, half of the F2 plants will be SN/R,

one quarter will be SN/SN and one quarter R/R. Applying the selection for the

novel trait will leave only the first two types of plants. If replanted, then

one third of the seeds will be sterile.

 

In addition, both the SN/R plants and SN/SN plants will still produce pollen,

which can cross-pollinate with non-GM varieties. Presence of the SN construct in

the contaminated seed will result in failure to germinate, thereby terminating

the contamination if grown in the field. But those contaminated with R will

still be fertile. Thus, non-transgenic crops will still be contaminated, and in

addition, the germination rate of the non-transgenic seeds will also be

compromised.

 

If genetic recombination has occurred in the F1 plants so that SN and R end up

on the same chromosome, then the contamination of non-transgenic crops will be

much more extensive and will perpetuate. Thus, this containment system, too, is

worse than useless.

 

Seed-sterility has been created using Agrobacterium tumefaciens genes to

overproduce the plant hormone indole acetic acid (IAA or auxin) by a pathway not

normally found in plants [7]. Plants have two other pathways to convert

tryptophan to IAA [8], and the seed containment system introduces a third.

 

Introducing genes and pathways that cause accumulation of tryptophan or its

metabolites in the seeds or tissues of crop plants deserves special safety

considerations. Such crops cannot be deemed " substantially equivalent " without

extensive testing on animals and human volunteers. Tryptophan produced in a

genetically modified bacterium was linked to an epidemic called eosinophilia

myalgia syndrome in 1989. Thousands were permanently injured and one or more

impurities were thought to be responsible for the illness [9]. Elevated levels

of 5-hydroxy IAA, a brain indole, were found in patients dying from liver injury

[10], and are associated with cell injury in mammals.

 

It is clear that these new terminator technologies cannot prevent transgenes

from spreading, while their safety is questionable. They serve no other purposes

than to exert control over seed production - forcing farmers to buy hybrid seeds

that cannot be replanted - and to protect patented traits.

 

The complete document with references

(http://www.i-sis.org.uk/full/NewTerminatorCropsFull.php), is available in the

ISIS members site. Full details here (http://www.i-sis.org.uk/membership.php)

 

 

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This article can be found on the I-SIS website at

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/NewTerminatorCrops.php

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General Enquiries sam

Website/Mailing List press-release

ISIS Director m.w.ho

 

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