ME and GMO

Chapter 10 Beebee & Rowe

GMO
Genetically modified organism
transgenic orgasnism into which one or
more gens frim a different species have
been introduced by the DNA manipulation
procedures of molecular biology

Public concerns:
1. Possible effect on human health
2. Perceived risks of genetic pollution in the
environment

ME can help to address the 2nd issue

Environmental risks from

GMOs
Possible hazards from relasing GMO
into the wilds:
1. Will GMOs spread extensively beyond
theior release sites, possibly
outcompeting wild species?
2. Will new genes spread beyond their
original hosts int other species?
3. Will the activities of introduced genes
affect species that interact with (e.g
prey upon) GMOs?

 Rishk assessment: not easy

Ecosystem are extremely complex
Different types of GMOs may well have
varying effect

Comparations: allien species

introduction
Invaders with tens of thoudands gens
new to the environment
Among the greatest threats to global
biodiversity

The role of ME
1. Identify the GMOs
2. Identify the gen flow from the
modified oorganism into other
species
a. Vertical (normal) transmission:
hybridization of GM-crops with wild
plant
b. Horizontal transmission

3. Whether expression of the new

genes poses threats to other

Case #1: common soil fungus

(Trichodema virens)

Biocontrol agent of other , plantpathogenic fungi

Modified to include bacterial
organophosphate-degrading
(opd) gene
Fungus will also remove
organophosphate pesticides from
contaminated soils

 Detection:
Conventional culturing techniques
PCR based amplification of the opd gene
from DNA extracted directly from soil
10-1000 times more sensitive

Vetical gene transfer

Cross fertilization: GM-plants with
either no-GM varieties of the same
plant, or with the close relatives
hybridization of GM-crops with wild plant

Case#2a (1): Oilseed rape

(Brassica napus)
Are able to hybridize with wild turnip (B.
rapa) and wild cabbage (B. oleracea)
Identification of hybrid:
Genotype-specific microsatellite markers for
2 transgenes (nptII for antibiotic resistance
and bar for glufosinate herbicide resitance)
Two genotype-specific RFLP markers
Six RAPD primers

Hybrids were very rare: 0<.005% of seed

Case#2a(2): Sugar beet

(Beta

vulgaris)

GM Sugar beet: containining three

introduced genes (cpBNYVV for virus
resistance, nptII and bar)
Produced pollen that succesfully
fertilized 70% of male stile bait
plants, some of which were up to 200
m away downwind
Hybrid tested:
PCR amplification of the tree transgenes

Horizontal gene transfer

(HGT)
Transmission of genetic information
between contemporary generation of
organisms and can occurs the same
or different species
Not require consecutive cell division or
no generation times to elapse
Potential to spread very quickly through
the environment

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Also called Lateral Gene Transfer
HGT and LGT for short
3 ways to do it
Transformation- naked DNA, short pieces,
common in bacteria that transform
Clay 28 hrs; ocean surface - 45-83 hrs; ocean
sediment-235

Transduction phage, donor/recipient share

receptors, closely related bacteria, DNA: amount
in phage head
Conjugation-plasmids/transposons, cell to cell
contact, distant relations, long DNA

Known Instances of HGT

Antibiotic resistance genes on
plasmids
Insertion sequences
Pathogenicity islands
Toxin resistance genes on plasmids
Agrobacterium Ti plasmid
Viruses and viroids
Organelle to nucleus transfers

How can you detect HGTs?

DNA sequence information
Phylogenetic trees
G+C Content
Codon bias
Sequences new to a genome will retain
(for a while) the signatures of the donor
genome and distinguished from
ancestral DNA

G+C Content
DNA is double stranded, G pairing
with C
Measure the amount of G+C content
in regions
If one region varies from most of the
genome, than likely HGT
52%

47%

52%