title: Detection of genetically modified maize DNA fragments in the intestinal contents of pigs fed StarLink CBH351.
abstract: We tried to detect DNA fragments derived from maize in the intestinal contents of pigs fed genetically modified (GM) StarLink CBH351 maize (SL) or non-GM maize. Intestinal contents of 8 SL and 8 non-GM maize-fed pigs were collected at slaughter, and the genes of the recombinant cry9C and the maize intrinsic zein (Zel) were assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) 3 times with a total of 4 primer pairs of different expected lengths. The cry9C gene (either 103 or 170 bp) was detected in the rectal contents (with a frequency of 25-37.5%) and in the cecal contents (25-50%) of the pigs fed SL. In a similar fashion, the zein (Zel) gene (either 242 or 329 bp) was detected in the rectal contents (with a frequency of 31.3%) and in the cecal contents (25-37.5%) of pigs fed on SL non-GM maize. These results suggested that ingested DNA was not totally degraded, but is present in a form detectable by PCR.
authors.affiliation: Safety Research Division, National Institute of Animal Health, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan.
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mikami
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hino
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuribara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanazumi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yomemochi
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis; D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers; D004064:Digestive System; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013552:Swine; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004731:Endotoxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007306:Insecticides; C030956:insecticidal crystal protein, Bacillus Thuringiensis; D004247:DNA