Tuesday, October 05, 1999, 10:47:15 AM, Lynne Carpenter-Boggs or Sheri
Huerd provided extensive background information and what I consider to
be a very clear, informative, well founded (and enjoyable) attempt to
answer Chuck Benbrook's question about Bt corn transferring genes to
actinomycetes; which culminated in the conclusion posed by her last 3
paragraphs.
It seems that as with many other areas of importance relative to
the public good, the research needed was never done. Her last
paragraph particularly, implies a significant question: Why wasn't
this issue - as well as other similar issues of equal importance,
defined before the seed in question was released at large?
That is a rhetorical question. Uninformed legislators and vested
economic interests are part of the answer. Perhaps a better question
is, what can be done to provide the focus needed in order to create
the recognition (in a strategic and dynamic few, at least), that the
wrong (or deficient) priorities are taking precedence in matters of
public policy. The current lack of knowledge is really not an
adequate license for running the risks involved, regardless of who is
"right".
On the other hand, as Dale pointed out, (positive) things ARE happening
in this vein (even if they're not positive to everyone). I myself
find it hard to argue with the fact the caution should take
precedence over commerce, until the answers are finally in. The
research can and should be done before release, even if that means an
extensive delay. The burden of proof has got to be placed where it
belongs. There are many other (and many feel better) alternatives,
the companies involved were not exactly going broke beforehand, and
any investment made by them in the technology was not forced on them,
nor were their motives (I suspect) all lily white.
Douglas Hinds
CeDeCoR, A.C.
Cordoba, Veracruz
dmhinds@acnet.net
-----------------------
> It should also be easier for plasmids to survive than pieces of DNA
> strands. Plasmids are a small circular piece of DNA, generally found in
> bacteria but also in some fungi, esp. yeasts. Since they are a closed
> package they are a little less susceptible to enzyme attack. Plasmids that
> are transferred or taken up by a new microbe are also more likely to
> survive this process and be utilized as genetic material rather than food
> because they are an intact self-replicating set of genes rather than just a
> chunk of potentially genetic stuff.
> Last time I checked, plants did not have plasmids (although to be honest
> I'm not sure what they're doing to them anymore), so I would think these
> new genes are incorporated into the plants' normal genome. This way, it is
> less likely that of the thousands of genes and "scrap" DNA, any individual
> important gene would survive the death and decay of the plant material, and
> ingestion by microbes, to subsequently be incorporated into their genomes
> and actually be expressed.
> This all does not answer the question of whether it happens. On an
> individual "this plant's genes transferred to that microbe" basis, one
> could safely say "No" this will not happen. On the larger scale of
> trillions of corn plants and zillions of microbes, my answer would be
> "maybe."
> Lynne Carpenter-Boggs
> Soil Microbiologist
> USDA-ARS
> 803 Iowa Ave.
> Morris, MN 56267
> 320-589-3411 x141
> FAX 320-589-3787
> lcboggs@mail.mrsars.usda.gov
> ______________________________ Reply Separator
> Subject: FWD: Question re Actinomycetes
> Author: Sheri C Huerd <huerd001@gold.tc.umn.edu> at Internet
> Date: 10/4/1999 4:34 PM
> I recently read that actinomycetes have some properties of both
> bacteria and fungi. I would appreciate any of the molecular or soil
> biologists among us to share their thoughts re what this might mean re the
> likelihood of horizontal gene transfer to actinomycetes from exposure to
> the biotech vectors/promoters/marker genes that get into the soil via
> residues and/or root exudates.
> I am wondering whether anyone has looked into this? Seems like a
> good time given that GMO-corn expressing Bt through roots could be as
> little as one season away (first approval could be in time for crop year
> 2002 according to DowAgroSciences).
> chuck
> Charles Benbrook CU FQPA site www.ecologic-ipm.com
> Benbrook Consulting Services Ag BioTech InfoNet www.biotech-info.net
> 5085 Upper Pack River Road IPM site www.pmac.net
> Sandpoint, Idaho 83864
> 208-263-5236 (Voice) 208-263-7342 (Fax)
> ----- Forwarded Message Ends Here -----
> Sheri Huerd
> 411 Borlaug Hall
> 1991 Upper Buford Circle
> University of Minnesota
> St. Paul, MN 55108
> 612-625-1251
> ----- Forwarded Message Ends Here -----
> Sheri Huerd
> 411 Borlaug Hall
> 1991 Upper Buford Circle
> University of Minnesota
> St. Paul, MN 55108
> 612-625-1251
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