title: A critical evaluation of whether recombination in virus-resistant transgenic plants will lead to the emergence of novel viral diseases.
abstract: In the evaluation of the potential impacts of first-generation genetically modified (GM) crops, one of the most complex issues has been whether the expression of viral sequences would lead to the emergence of novel viruses, which could occur through recombination between transgene mRNA and that of an infecting non-target virus. Here, we examine this issue, focusing on Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), which is a particularly pertinent choice, as it is both a major plant pathogen and also the virus with which this question has been studied in the most detail. Using recent results on recombination in CMV, we employ a novel framework giving particular prominence to the formulation of the risk hypothesis and to hypothesis testing via examination of the potential pathway to harm. This allows us to conclude with greater certainty that the likelihood of this potential harm, the emergence of novel viruses, is low.
authors.affiliation: INRA UMR1318 Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, 78026, Versailles Cedex, France.|INRA UR407 Pathologie Végétale, 84143, Montfavet Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tepfer
authors.affiliation: INRA UR407 Pathologie Végétale, 84143, Montfavet Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jacquemond
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas UPM-INIA and ETSI Agrónomos, Campus de Montegancedo, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García-Arenal
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D017799:Cucumovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005814:Genes, Viral; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000235:genetics; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011995:Recombination, Genetic
keywords: biosafety; genetically modified organism; recombination; risk assessment; virus emergence; virus-resistant transgenic plants