Direct comparison of pollen-mediated movement of native and engineered genes |
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Authors: | Stan C Hokanson James F Hancock Rebecca Grumet |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mi 48824, USA |
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Abstract: | Despite the commercial approval of twenty-five transgenic crops in the U.S. as of mid-1996, concern is still being expressed
regarding the potential risks associated with genetically engineered crops. One recurring issue is the possibility of pollen-mediated
escape of engineered genes into populations of crop wild relatives. To address this concern, the scientific community has
depended on literature on pollen dispersal generated from non-transgenic organisms. Utilization of this information requires
the assumption that the pollen mediated movement of native and transgenes is the same. To test the validity of this assumption,
we directly compared the pollen-mediated gene movement of native and engineered marker genes using melon plants (Cucumis melo
L.) expressing dominant morphological and transgenic traits. Movement into both contiguous border plots and non-contiguous
satellite plots were monitored. Dispersal of the native gene and transgene into the satellite plots was identical. Dispersal
of the two traits into the plot borders was nearly identical. Of the nearly 4600 seedlings screened for both morphological
(presence of green vs. virescent cotyledons) and transgene movement (presence of NPT II protein by ELISA), in no case was
the NPT II gene observed in the absence of green cotyledons. However, 39 seedlings were green but did not express NPT II as
measured by ELISA. PCR analysis revealed transgene inactivation as a cause of the NPT II ELISA-seedlings.
This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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Keywords: | Cucumis melo gene movement gene silencing pollen flow risk assessment transgenic plants |
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