Plant Steroids in Transgenic Plants Safe for Humans?

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Plant Steroids in Transgenic Plants Safe for Humans?

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Thu, 30 Mar 2006 15:02:07 +0100

 

 

 

 

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

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

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ISIS Press Release 30/03/06

 

 

Plant Steroids in Transgenic Plants Safe for Humans?

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There are too many similarities between plant and animal

steroids for them to be presumed safe. Prof. Joe Cummins

 

A fully referenced version of this article is posted on ISIS

members' website

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/full/cropsonsteroidsFull.php.

Details here

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

 

For many years, it was presumed that the regulators of

growth and development in plants are distinct from the

hormones that regulate growth and development in animals.

Yet, many of the pesticides used to control insects and

fungi were found to disrupt the endocrine systems of

animals.

 

In 1979, steroid compounds called brassinosteroids (BRs)

were discovered in the pollen of Brassica napus (rapeseed).

Later studies showed that BRs are ubiquitous among plant

species. BRs are similar in structure to animal steroid

hormones, including ecdysone, progesterone and testosterone.

Steroid hormones regulate transcription through nuclear

receptors and by membrane bound cell surface receptors.

Trans-membrane BRs receptors have been recognized in plants.

Recently, nuclear transcription factors regulated by BRS

were recognized. Like animal steroids, BRs act on a number

of aspects of growth and development, and function in a

broad range of disease resistance as part of an innate

immunity system.

 

 

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A number of BR inhibitors and analogues have been produced,

and BR analogs with high growth promoting activity have been

patented.

 

BR analogues proved active in the control of mosquitoes

through their resemblance to the insect molting hormone.

Synthetic BR analogues selectively inhibited multiplication

of herpes simplex virus by interfering with late viral

protein synthesis. BR derivatives were also effective in

inhibiting replication of the measles virus. These finding

suggest that BRs are active in both invertebrate and

vertebrate animal viruses including those infecting humans.

Might they not interfere with the synthesis or action of

human steroid hormones?

 

As in the synthesis of animal steroids, synthesis of BR is

achieved using certain cytochrome p450 molecules.

Researchers from the Salk Institute patented transgenic

plants altered to either impair or over-express a gene for

cytochrome p450 activity. The resulting transgenic plants

could be manipulated to produce insect resistance, dwarfism

and darker green foliage compared to wild type plants.

Another cytochrome p450 gene was isolated from dwarf plants

and that gene and protein patented. Cotton plants with

improved fibre characteristics resulted from treatment of

cottonseeds with BRs prior to planting, or by producing

cotton fibre in liquid cell culture. Transgenic cotton

plants also produced fibres with improved characteristics

when sprayed with BR analogues.

 

BRs are versatile and allow the production of greater cell

mass if desired, as for example in forage. BRs may also

provide dwarfism for grain crops to avoid lodging of the

crops. BRs appear to be associated with multiple disease

resistance. However, manipulation of BRs may create

unexpected toxins as byproducts of the modified p450 genes.

 

BR analogues may provide the happy prospect of making crops

grow larger, while warding off insect pests and curing

genital herpes. But it is imperative that BRs and transgenic

crops producing them should be tested thoroughly for

untoward toxicity for human beings and other non-target

species.

 

 

 

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

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

 

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