(some of what you need to know in a few

minutes)Peggy G. LemauxCooperative Extension Specialist

UC Berkeley

Tour D’Onion: Where is all that genetic information?

CELLS

Cell Wall

Nucleus

Dividing cell Chromosomes

Chromosome

Genes

Used in Marker- Assisted Breeding Strategie

s

(equivalent to a gene)

GMO Genetically Modified OrganismGEO Genetically Engineered OrganismLMO Living Modified OrganismrDNA Recombinant DNABiotechnology

TERMS USED

Classical Breeding

Uses plant machinery in plant Uses plant machinery in laboratory

Genetic Engineeringcompared to

Gene exchange is random involving entire genome

Gene exchange is specific, single or a few genes

Primarily within genera, not between kingdoms like plants and bacteria

Source of gene from any organism

When/where genes expressed not controlled by breeder

When/where gene expressed can be controlled precisely

SOURCE: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/BiotechCrops/

Total all GE varieties in U.S. in 2007 Corn = 73% Cotton = 87% Soybean = 91%

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Global Area of Biotech Crops, 1996 to 2007:Industrial and Developing Countries (Million Hectares)

Total

Industrial

Developing

Source: Clive James, 2008

23 industrial and developing countries in order of acreage: US, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, China, Paraguay, South Africa, Uruguay, Philippines, Australia, Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, France, Honduras, Czech Republic, Portugal, Germany, Slovakia. Romania, Poland.

282 million acres worldwide: comparable in size to combined areas of CA and TX

Estimated 75% of Processed Foods Have GE Ingredients

GE Papaya

GE Squash

Only a few whole foods on the market

are genetically engineered

GE Sweet Corn

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE?

SOURCE: Rivero, R.M., Kojima, M., Gepstein, A., Sakakibara, H., Mittler, R., Gepstein, S. and Blumwald, E. 2007. Delayed leaf senescence induces extreme drought tolerance in a flowering plant. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 104: 19631-19636.

Engineered drought tolerance leads to vigorous growth of plants after prolonged

drought while control plants died

SOURCE: http://archives.foodsafety.ksu.edu/agnet/2007/4-2007/agnet_april_10.htm#story0

Arcadia Biosciences develops canola that uses 50% less nitrogen fertilizer

SOURCE: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080806/BUSINESS/808060336/1001

Field Trials Conducted in California with Field Trials Conducted in California with Grape Root Stocks Engineered for Grape Root Stocks Engineered for

Resistance to Fanleaf VirusResistance to Fanleaf Virus

Altering transport gene in carrot results in more bioavailable calcium in humans

SOURCE: Morris, J., Hawthorne, K.M., Hotze, T., Abrams, S.A. and Hirschi, K.D. 2008. Nutritional impact of elevated calcium transport activity in carrots. PNAS 10.1073/pnas.0709005105.

New High Lysine Corn for Animal New High Lysine Corn for Animal Feed Deregulated - Reduces Need Feed Deregulated - Reduces Need

for Lysine Supplementsfor Lysine Supplements

New High Lysine Corn for Animal New High Lysine Corn for Animal Feed Deregulated - Reduces Need Feed Deregulated - Reduces Need

for Lysine Supplementsfor Lysine Supplements

SOURCE:February 2006, BIOSPACEhttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=8883&full=1

SOURCE: Niederberger et al., 2004. Vaccination with genetically engineered allergens prevents progression of allergic disease. PNAS early edition (August 13, 2004)

Genetically engineered pollen reduces allergy symptoms in sufferers

SOURCE: Doty, S.L., James, C.A., Moore, A.L., Vajzovic, A., Singleton, G.L., Ma, C., Khan, Z., Xi, G., Kang, J.W., Park, J.Y., Meilan, R., Strauss, S.H., Wilkerson, J., Farin, F. and Strand. S.E. 2007. Enhanced phytoremediation of volatile environmental pollutants with transgenic trees. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 104:16816-16821.

Engineered poplar removes environmental pollutants through roots and air

Removal of carbon tetrachloride

What is the U.S. regulatory What is the U.S. regulatory process that governs these process that governs these

engineered plants?engineered plants?

• Field testing-Permits-Notifications

• Determination ofnon-regulated status

U.S. Regulatory AgenciesU.S. Regulatory Agencies(based oversight on existing (based oversight on existing

regulations)regulations)

USDAUSDAUSDAUSDA FDAFDAFDAFDA EPAEPAEPAEPA• Food

safety

• Feed safety

• Pesticidal plants-tolerance exemption-registrations

• Herbicide registration

• Changes in nutritional contentChanges in nutritional content

• No peer-reviewed food safety tests No peer-reviewed food safety tests

• Creation of allergens or activation of toxinsCreation of allergens or activation of toxins

• Pharma crops contaminating food supplyPharma crops contaminating food supply

• LabelingLabeling

• Gene flow from food to intestinal bacteria Gene flow from food to intestinal bacteria

that increases antibiotic resistancethat increases antibiotic resistance

What are some food safety issues?

• Changes in nutritional content Changes in nutritional content

• No peer-reviewed food safety testsNo peer-reviewed food safety tests

• Creation of allergens or activation of toxinsCreation of allergens or activation of toxins

• Pharma crops contaminating food supplyPharma crops contaminating food supply

• LabelingLabeling

• Gene flow from food to intestinal bacteria Gene flow from food to intestinal bacteria

that increases antibiotic resistancethat increases antibiotic resistance

What are some food safety issues?

Example of animal safety test

SOURCE: Flachowsky, G. 2007. Feeds from Genetically Engineered Plants - Results and Future Challenges. ISB News Report, March 2007, pp. 4-7.

Experiments comparing first generation GE crops with comparable non-GE crops

• Changes in nutritional content Changes in nutritional content

• No peer-reviewed food safety tests No peer-reviewed food safety tests

• Creation of allergens or activation of toxinsCreation of allergens or activation of toxins

• Pharma crops contaminating food supplyPharma crops contaminating food supply

• LabelingLabeling

• Gene flow from food to intestinal bacteria Gene flow from food to intestinal bacteria

that increases antibiotic resistancethat increases antibiotic resistance

What are some food safety issues?

Inadvertent Creation of Allergens and Toxins

Is Toxin Creation Confined to GE Foods?

No – naturally occurring toxins happen due to classical breeding efforts also, e.g., potato

(glycoalkaloids) and celery (psoralens)

Kraft Food recalls all taco shells soldnationwide under Taco Bell Brand

SOURCE: Washington Post, September 19, 2000

Kraft Food recalls all taco shells soldnationwide under Taco Bell Brand

SOURCE: Washington Post, September 19, 2000

Starlink corn contamination

Fumonisin Reduction with Bt-maize

• 1989: High levels of fumonisin cause 1989: High levels of fumonisin cause large-scale outbreaks of lethal lung large-scale outbreaks of lethal lung edema in pigs, brain tumors in horsesedema in pigs, brain tumors in horses

• Fumonisin contamination caused by Fumonisin contamination caused by insect infestationinsect infestation

• 20- to 30-fold fumonisin reduction with 20- to 30-fold fumonisin reduction with Bt-maizeBt-maize

Modified from Drew L. KershenUniversity of Oklahoma

SOURCE; Hammond, B. et al., (Feb. 2004), Lower fumonisin mycotoxin levels in the grain of Bt-corn grown in the United States in 2000-2002, J. Agric. Food Chem. 52: 1390-1397

Where to get more information?