I would further profile the concern that target genes, whatever they are, may
interact in novel and unpredictable ways if successfully (if inadvertantly)
introduced into a new host genome by the processes of transformation,
conjugation etc. which you discussed. The new gene products of these novel
interactions, such as increased virulence of an antibiotic-resistant bug, may be
far more troublesome ecologically, agronomically, and to human health, than what
we would predict from the transgenic entity we originally set loose into the
world. One need look no further than the Arabadopsis thaliana study we've
discussed earlier on this list for evidence that this can really happen. To
briefly recap, a mutated gene for herbicide resistance (taken from A. thaliana)
when introduced back into unmutated plants of the same speccies, affected not
just herbicide resistance (the target trait) but also increased % outcrossing .
Outcrossing (in a formerly selfing plant) would of course greatly widen the
opportunity for sexual transmission of transgenes to wild, weedy relatives.
Issues such as this would never have been detected prior to release under the
current so-called "environmental risk assessment" protocol used in either the
US or Canada. Fortunately for us, this findings was detected in an experiment
conducted by an independent researcher, who took the time to publish and report
it. This particular example may be irrelevant to commercial application, but it
should be a real big red flag to those who continue to support the profoundly
simplistic principle of "substantial equivalence" as a basis for assessing
ecological or human health risks of GE crops. Ann
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