Guest guest Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 > 9 Jul 2004 13:17:38 -0000 > Promises & Perils of GM Rice > 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 > ======================================================== > > > Rice wars Rice, the staple food crop for more than > half the > world's population, among them the poorest, is the > current > target of genetic modification, an activity that has > greatly > intensified after the rice genome was announced two > years > ago (see " Rice is life " series, SiS 15 > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/isisnews/sis15.php > , Summer 2002). Since then, all > major biotech giants are investing in rice research. > > > At the same time, a low-input cultivation system > that really > benefits small farmers worldwide has been spreading, > but is > dismissed by the scientific establishment as > " unscientific " . > This is one among several recent innovations that > increase > yields and ward off disease without costly and > harmful > inputs, all enthusiastically and widely adopted by > farmers. > > A war is building up between the corporate > establishment and > the peoples of the world for the possession of rice. > The > food security of billions is at stake, as is their > right to > grow the varieties of rice they have created and > continue to > create, and in the manner they choose. > > This extended series will not be appearing all at > once, so > look out for it. > > Fantastic Rice Yields Fact or Fallacy? > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/RiceWars.php > Top Indian Rice Geneticist Rebuts SRI critics > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/TIRGRSRI.php > Does SRI work? > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/DSRIW.php > Corporate Patents vs People in GM Rice > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/CPVPIGMR.php > Promises and Perils of GM Rice > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/PPGMR.php > > ISIS Press Release 09/07/04 > > Promises & Perils of GM Rice > **************************** > > Rice, the food crop for half the world's > population is the current target of genetic > modification. > What are the health and environmental consequences? > Prof. > Joe Cummins reviews > > A longer fully referenced version of this article > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/full/PPGMRFull.php, the > fifth in > " Rice wars " series, is posted on ISIS members' > website. > Details here http://www.i-sis.org.uk/membership.php. > > Rice a target for corporate control? Rice is the > primary > food for half the people in the world, providing > more > calories than any other single food. It supplies an > average > of 889 calories per day per person in China, as > opposed to > only 82 calories in the United States. Rice is a > nutritious > food, providing about 90 percent of calories from > carbohydrates and as much as 13 percent of calories > from > protein [1]. Such a crop of immense global > importance is a > certain target for control by multinational > corporations, > especially since the rice genome was announced two > years ago > (see " Rice is life " series, SiS 15 > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/isisnews/sis15.php , 2002). > > Only one GM rice trait - tolerance to the herbicide > glufosinate - is currently available on the market. > The rice > varieties under development include resistance to > insects, > microbial pests and tolerance to high salt levels. > Pharmaceutical products and multiple transgenic > traits are > being pyramided into a single strain of rice. It is > likely > that the next GM rice to be approved for commercial > release > will contain an insect toxin gene from the > bacterium, > Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), but that will be > followed by a > range of modifications, including insect resistance > based on > lectins and protease inhibitors. Because rice has a > huge > impact on the world's food supply, we should at > least make > sure it is safe. > > Herbicide tolerance and insect resistance Two > glufosinate- > tolerant GM rice events, LLRICE06 and LLRICE62, have > been > approved for commercial production. They have been > inserted > into the rice varieties M202 and Bengal, consisting > of the > bar gene encoding the > phosphoinothricin-N-acetyltransferase > (PAT) enzyme. > > Safety testing of the bar gene and PAT enzyme was > done using > the bacterial gene and protein, not the synthetic > gene and > its product in the rice crop. Despite this obvious > flaw, the > United States Department of Agriculture determined > that the > GM rice strains were suitable for commercial > release, and > these are marketed by Bayer as Liberty Link rice. In > 2002, > Aventis (later purchased by Bayer) destroyed 5 > million > pounds of Liberty Link rice because they feared > rejection by > the international market, but efforts are continuing > to > promote and disseminate the transgenic crop. Bayer > is > currently seeking approval for the import of > LLRICE62 for > food, feed and industrial uses into Europe. > > Synthetic analogues of the Bt Cry toxin genes have > been used > extensively to construct experimental rice > varieties. Indica > Basmati rice was transformed by a synthetic Cry1Ab > gene in > several different constructs. These transgenic rice > plants > contained up to 0.15% of their total protein as > synthetic > toxin. Such high levels of toxin are preferred > because it > discourages insect resistance, but it also means > that the > synthetic toxin protein makes a significant > contribution to > people's diet and to the rice straw fed to animals. > > Rice lines containing Cry1Ab and Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac > fusion > protein genes were reported to have no effect on the > fitness > of non-target insects. > > Rice with Cry1Ab toxin gene and resistance genes for > the > antibiotics hygromycin and neomycin was reported to > be > resistant to rice leafhopper insects. However, elite > Indica > rice with a synthetic Cry1Ac toxin gene, although > resistant > to the yellow stem borer insect, had high toxin > levels in > all of the plant tissues. > > European rice cultivars were transformed with > synthetic > Cry1Aa or synthetic Cry1B toxin genes under a > constitutive > ubiquitin promoter, which turns on the gene in all > the > tissues all of the time, or synthetic Cry1B gene > under a > wound inducible maize promoter, which responds to > stresses > such as insect predation. The constitutive > promoter-driven > toxin genes produced high toxin levels that > prevented > striped stem borer predation but left toxin in all > the rice > tissues and seeds, while the wound inducible strain > produced > toxin mainly at the site of insect attack. > > Research has established that Bt toxin was > introduced into > soil by root exudates of transgenic rice. The toxin > released > into the soil affected the enzymes of soil microbes, > > increasing soil acid phosphatase and decreasing soil > urease. > > The benefit of insect protection from Bt rice is > offset by > the potential harmful effects of high levels of > toxin > protein in the rice grain. As rice is such an > important food > crop, the safety of Bt rice must be concretely > established. > It has been found that food irradiation improved the > > " quality " of GM rice modified with the Cry1Ab toxin, > by > selectively removing the toxin protein. However, > study of > the radiation products and adducts created during > destruction of the toxin is essential. Furthermore, > it is > clear that food irradiation may be used to disguise > GM rice. > > A number of projects have studied the use of > snowdrop > lectin, Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA) alone or > in > conjunction with other genes to control rice pests. > Lectins > are proteins that interact with human blood cells > (agglutinin) and also act as anti-predator chemicals > in > plants or microbes. A GNA gene was driven by a > phloem > specific promoter accompanied by a hygromycin > antibiotic > resistance gene and was used to transform japonica > rice > strains. The modified rice controlled sap-sucking > insects > that spread rice viruses. However, Ewen and Pusztai > showed > that potatoes modified with GNA affected different > parts of > the rat digestive system. Similar research on the in > vivo > effects of rice genetically engineered with GNA has > not been > reported. > > Rice plants containing both the GNA gene and the > unlinked > Cry1Ac gene were reported to be resistant to the > major rice > insect pests, striped stem borer and brown leaf > hopper (rice > with only Cry1Ac resisted striped stem borer while > rice with > GNA resisted brown leaf hopper). Rice transformed > with a > single vector containing Cry1Ab along with GNA and > the bar > gene for herbicide tolerance was intended to be > resistant to > yellow stem borer and three sap sucking insects, and > also > tolerant to the herbicide glufosinate. This huge > package of > genes was integrated at a single chromosomal site. > No > account has been taken of the interaction of the > various > toxins in the human food supply and in the > environment. > > Basmati rice was co-transformed with three plasmids > carrying > four genes including GNA, synthetic Cry1Ac, > synthetic Cry2A > and resistance to the antibiotic hygromycin. As in > the > previous construction, care must be taken to > evaluate the > toxicity of the toxin products and their interaction > in the > human diet and in the environment. > > Elite Chinese rice cultivars were transformed with a > gene > for bacterial blight and a GNA gene. The transformed > rice > was resistant to sap sucking insects and to > bacterial > blight. > > Insect and bacterial disease resistant lines have > been > pyramided (pyramiding is combining transgenes by > genetic > crosses). A strain with a fused Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac gene > was > combined with a gene derived from a wild rice for > resistance > to bacterial blight, in a male sterile restorer line > of > rice. The pyramided line was resistant to bacterial > blight > and to stem borer insects. In the pyramided lines, > regulators must consider and evaluate the toxicity > of each > transgenic toxin and the combination of toxins > brought about > by crossing. > > Resistance to the rice stem borer was produced using > a > synthetic trypsin inhibitor that interferes with > insect food > digestion. The synthetic gene was roughly based on a > winged > bean chymotrypsin inhibitor. A synthetic copy of a > gene > product that interferes with digestion surely > requires > extensive safety testing! > > Salt tolerance & enhancement of biomass Increasing > the > transcription level of a rice sodium antiporter (a > pump that > moves sodium ion into a vacuole) gene, called > OsNHX1, is > reported to improve the salt tolerance of rice, with > the > potential of opening large tracks of land to rice > cultivation. Over expression of barley aquaporin > gene in > rice led to increased carbon dioxide conductance and > > assimilation. Such modifications are potentially > able to > enhance biomass production in rice. > > Nutritional enhancement Rice has also been the > target of > genetic modifications that nutritionally enrich food > crops. > 'Golden Rice' genetically engineered to produce > pro-vitamin > A has been discussed extensively elsewhere. Although > much > touted as a cure for vitamin A deficiency in > developing > countries, it has yet to be commercialized and its > effectiveness in addressing vitamin A deficiency has > been > called into question. > > Pharm rice Production of pharmaceutical proteins in > rice > crops poses potent threats to the food supply. > Recent > efforts to test and produce rice modified to produce > the > human gene products lactoferrin and lysozyme have > been > temporarily thwarted. However, rice producing human > growth > hormone has been developed despite the likelihood > that the > GM rice could cause cancer in those consuming it. > Rice is > not a suitable cross for producing pharmaceutical > products > because of the high likelihood that the products > will > pollute the food supply. > > Environmental impacts The genetic modifications > being used > or promoted for rice pose a significant threat to > the > environment if they contaminate conventional rice > fields or > spread transgenes to weedy relatives such as red > rice. > Pollen mediated gene flow was substantial from > Mediterranean > GM rice bearing a gene for herbicide tolerance to > conventional rice and to the weed, red rice. Gene > flow from > herbicide tolerant to cultivated rice was also > substantial > in another study of Mediterranean rice. Rice pollen > was > spread from a test plot up to 110 meters from the > boundary > of the test plot. It is very clear that transgenic > rice will > pollute any nearby conventional rice. > > Health impacts GM rice may soon be approved for > commercial > production in a number of countries. Safety testing > of the > currently described products has not yet been > published. GM > rice cannot be presumed to be substantially > equivalent to > conventional rice, but that may not hamper approval > in the > United States of many such constructions. For the > most part, > GM rice is formed from synthetic genes that should > require > much fuller safety testing than has been done in the > past. > > In North America, regulators have allowed > substitution of > genes and proteins produced in bacterial surrogates > for the > actual genes and proteins produced in crop plants in > > toxicity tests of human and environmental safety. > The use of > the bacterial surrogates is allowed, to save > corporations > the cost of preparing genes and proteins from the > crop > plants, even though the genes and proteins tested > differ > significantly from the genes and proteins produced > in the > crop plants [28]. The public should insist that the > actual > genes and proteins produced in the crops be tested. > > The world's leading food crop should be treated with > more > care than has been done with maize, soy and canola. > > References Encarta Encyclopedia Article Rice 2004, > 9pp, > http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761569224/Rice.html > > USDA/APHIS AgEvo USA Company Petition 98-329-01p, > 1998, > 25pp, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/de_reg.htm Jack > A. GE > Rice Update: Organic rice surges while GE rice > falters, > 2002, 5pp > http://www.amberwaves.org/web_articles/gericeupdate.html > > Husnain T, Asad J, Maqbool S, Datta S and Riazuddin > S. > Variability in expression of insecticidal Cry1Ab > gene in > Indica Basmati rice Euphytica 2002, 128, 121-8. > Bernal C, > Aguda R and Cohen M. Effect of rice lines > transformed with > Bacillus thuringiensis toxin genes on the brown > planthopper > and its predator Cyrtorhinus lividipennis, > Entomologia > Experimentalis et Applicata 2002, 102, 21-8. Datta > K, > Vasquez A, Tu J, Torrizo L, Alam M, Oliva N, Abrigo > E, Khush > G and Datta S. Constitutive and tissue-specific > differential > expression of the cryIA(b)gene in transgenic rice > plants > conferring resistance to rice insect pest Theor. > Appl. > Genet. 1998, 97, 20-30. Ye G, Yao H, Shu Q, Cheng X, > Hu C, > Xia Y, Gao M and Altosaar I. High levels of stable > resistance in transgenic rice with a cry1Ab gene > from > Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner to rice leaffolder, > Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenée) under field > conditions > Crop Protection 2003, 22, 171-8. Khanna H and Raina > S. Elite > Indica transgenic rice plants expressing modified > Cry1Ac > endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis show enhanced > resistance > to yellow stem borer (Scirpophaga incertulas) > Transgenic > Research 2002, 11, 411-423. Breitler J, Vassal J, > del Mar > Catala M, Meynard D, Marfà V, Melé E, Royer M, > Murillo I, > San Segundo B, Guiderdoni E and Messeguer J. Bt rice > > harbouring cry genes controlled by a constitutive or > wound- > inducible promoter: protection and transgene > expression > under Mediterranean field conditions Plant > Biotechnology > Journal 2004, 2, in press, 14pp. Sun C, Chen L, Wu > Z, Zhang > Y and Zhang L. Effect of transgenic Bt rice planting > on soil > enzyme activities [Article in Chinese] Ying Yong > Sheng Tai > Xue Bao 2003, 14, 2261-4. Wu D, Ye Q, Wang Z and Xia > Y. > Effect of gamma irradiation on nutritionalcomponents > and > Cry1Ab protein in the transgenic rice with a > synthetic > cry1Ab gene from Bacillus thuringiensis, Radiation > Physics > and Chemistry 2004, 69, 79-83. Wu A, Sun X, Pang Y > and Tang > K. Homozygous transgenic rice lines expressing GNA > with > enhanced resistance to the rice sap-sucking pest > Laodelphax > striatellus, Plant Breeding 2002, 121, 93-5. Ewen S > and > Pusztai A. Effect of diets containing genetically > modified > potatoes expressing Galanthus nivalis lectin on rat > small > intestine The Lancet 1999, 354, 1353-4. Loc N, > Tinjuangjun > P, Gatehouse A, Christou P, Gatehouse J. Linear > transgene > constructs lacking vector backbone sequences > generate > transgenic rice plants which accumulate higher > levels of > proteins conferring insect resistance Molecular > Breeding > 2002, 9, 231-44. Ramesh S, Nagadhara D, Reddy V and > Rao K. > Production of transgenic indica rice resistant to > yellow > stem borer and sap-sucking insects, using > super-binary > vectors of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Plant Science > 2004, > 166, 1077-85. Maqbool S and Christou P. Multiple > traits of > agronomic importance in transgenic indica rice > plants: > analysis of transgene integration patterns, > expression > levels and stability Molecular Breeding 1999, 5, > 471-80. > Tang K, Tinjuangjun P, Xu Y, Sun X, Gatehouse J, > Ronald P, > Qi H, Lu X, Christou P and Kohli A. > Particle-bombardment- > mediated co-transformation of elite Chinese rice > cultivars > with genes conferring resistance to bacterial blight > and > sap-sucking insect pests Planta 1999, 208, 552-63. > Jiang G, > Xu C, Tu J, Li X, He Y and Zhang Q. Pyramiding of > insect- > and disease-resistance genes into an elite indica, > cytoplasm > male sterile restorer line of rice, 'Minghui 63' > Plant > Breeding 2004, 123, 112-6. Mochizuki A, Nishizawa Y, > Onodera > H, Tabei Y, Toki S, Habu Y, Ugak M and Ohashi Y. > Transgenic > rice plants expressing a trypsin inhibitor are > resistant > against rice stem borers, Chilo suppressalis, > Entomologia > Experimentalis et Applicata 1999, 93, 173-8. Fukuda > A, > Nakamur A, Tagiri A, Tanaka H, Miyao A, Hirochika H > and > Tanaka Y. Function, Intracellular Localization and > the > Importance in Salt Tolerance of a Vacuolar Na+/H+ > Antiporter > from Rice Plant and Cell Physiology, 2004, 45, > 146-59/ Hanba > Y, Shibasaka M, Hayashi Y, Hayakawa T, Kasamo K, > Terashima I > and Katsuhara M. Overexpression of the Barley > Aquaporin > HvPIP2;1 Increases Internal CO2 Conductance and CO2 > Assimilation in the Leaves of Transgenic Rice Plants > Plant > Cell Physiol. 2004, 45, 521-9. Ho MW. 2002. 'Golden > Rice' - > An exercise in how not to do science. TWN > Biotechnology & > Biosafety Series 6, Third World Network, Penang. > Cummins J. > Pharm Crop Stalled for Now Science in Society 2004, > 22, 28-9 > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/isisnews/sis22.php. Cummins > J. > Cancer Promoting Transgenic Rice Human Proteins in > GM Rice > Linked to Disease Science in Society 2003, 22, 310. > Messeguer J, Marfà V,Català M, Guiderdoni E and Melé > E. A > field study of pollen-mediated gene flow from > Mediterranean > GM rice to conventional rice and the red rice weed > Molecular > Breeding 2004, 13, 103-12. Messeguer J, Fogher C, > Guiderdoni > E, Marfà V, Català M, Baldi G and Melé E. Field > assessments > of gene flow from transgenic to cultivated rice > (Oryza > sativa L.) using a herbicide resistance gene as > tracer > marker Theor. Appl. Genet. 2001, 103, 1151-9. Song > Z, Lu B > and Che J. Pollen flow of cultivated rice measured > under > experimental conditions Biodiversity and > Conservation 2004, > 13, 579-90. Cummins J. Bt toxins in genetically > modified > crops: Regulation by deceit Science in Society 2004, > 22, 31- > 2 http://www.i-sis.org.uk/isisnews/sis22.php. > > > > ======================================================== > > This article can be found on the I-SIS website at > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/PPGMR.php > > If you like this original article from the Institute > of > Science in Society, and would like to continue > receiving > articles of this calibre, please consider making a > donation > or purchase on our website > > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/donations. > > ISIS is an independent, not-for-profit organisation > dedicated to providing critical public information > on > cutting edge science, and to promoting social > accountability > and ecological sustainability in science. > > If you would prefer to receive future mailings as > HTML > please let us know. If you would like to be removed > from our > mailing list at > > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/mailinglist/.php > ======================================================== > > CONTACT DETAILS > > The Institute of Science in Society, PO Box 32097, > London > NW1 OXR > > telephone: [44 20 8643 0681] [44 20 7383 3376] > [44 20 > 7272 5636] > > General Enquiries sam Website/Mailing > List > press-release ISIS Director > m.w.ho > > MATERIAL IN THIS EMAIL MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM > WITHOUT > PERMISSION, ON CONDITION THAT IT IS ACCREDITED > ACCORDINGLY > AND CONTAINS A LINK TO http://www.i-sis.org.uk/ > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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