Belowground environmental effects of transgenic crops: a soil microbial perspective.
Experimental studies investigated the effects of transgenic crops on the structure, function and diversity of soil and rhizosphere microbial communities playing key roles in belowground environments. Here we review available data on direct, indirect and pleiotropic effects of engineered plants on soil microbiota, considering both the technology and the genetic construct utilized. Plants modified to express phytopathogen/phytoparasite resistance, or traits beneficial to food industries and consumers, differentially affected soil microorganisms depending on transformation events, experimental conditions and taxa analyzed. Future studies should address the development of harmonized methodologies by taking into account the complex interactions governing soil life.
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: alessandra.turrini@unipi.it.
Alessandra
A
Turrini
Institute of Biology and Agricultural Biotechnology, CNR, UOS Pisa, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: sbrana@ibba.cnr.it.
Cristiana
C
Sbrana
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: manuela.giovannetti@unipi.it.
Manuela
M
Giovannetti
D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000235:genetics; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D058685:Genetic Pleiotropy; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D064307:Microbiota / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D058441:Rhizosphere; D012988:Soil Microbiology
Bt plants; Horizontal gene transfer; Microbial communities; Pleiotropy; Transgenic plants