Genetically engineered plants producing opines alter their biological environment.
Little is known about the consequences of releasing genetically engineered plants (GEP) into the environment. Using opine-producing GEP, we show that transgenic plants alter their biological environment, more precisely the root-associated bacterial populations. The alterations were both transgene-specific and target population-specific. Therefore, assessment studies on the introduction of a given transgene into a GEP will be valid on the given transgene. Evidence of any transgene-associated biological effect will depend on the determination of the pertinent target populations, the identification of which is a key step of such studies.
Oger
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P
Plant Science Institute, National Center for Scientific Research, Gif sur Yvette, France.
Petit
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A
Dessaux
Y
Y
D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D001709:Biotechnology; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D008353:Mannitol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology*; D011551:Pseudomonas fluorescens / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012231:Rhizobium / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012988:Soil Microbiology
D008353:Mannitol; C041352:mannopine