title: The fate of antibiotic resistance marker genes in transgenic plant feed material fed to chickens.
abstract: We have examined the fate of an antibiotic resistance marker, incorporated into transgenic maize when fed to chicks. Plant-derived markers were found in the crops of five birds fed transgenic maize and in the stomach contents of two birds. The plant-derived marker gene was not found in the intestines. The survival of the antibiotic resistance marker gene mirrored that of plant DNA targets, demonstrating that it survives no better than other DNA and indicating that it is very unlikely that bacteria in the gut of chickens will be transformed to ampicillin resistance when the birds are fed transgenic maize.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leeds Institute for Plant Biotechnology and Agriculture, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: Paula S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Duggan
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heritage
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Forbes
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000032:analysis; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics*; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics*; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D005819:Genetic Markers; D001618:beta-Lactamases