title: Characterization and comparison of transgenic Artemisia annua GYR and wild-type NON-GYR plants in an environmental release trial.
abstract: The anti-malarial drug, artemisinin, is quite expensive as a result of its slow content in Artemisia annua. Recent investigations have suggested that genetic engineering of A. annua is a promising approach to improve the yield of artemisinin. In this study, the transgenic A. annua strain GYR, which has high artemisinin content, was evaluated in an environmental release trial. First, GYR plants were compared with the wild-type variety NON-GYR, with regard to phenotypic characters (plant height, crown width, stem diameter, germination rate, leaf dry weight, 1000-seed weight, leave shape). Second, stress resistance in the two varieties (salt, drought, herbicide, and cold resistance) was evaluated under different experimental conditions. Finally, gene flow was estimated. The results indicated that there were significant differences in several agronomic traits (plant height, stem diameter, and leave dry weight) between the transgenic GYR and NON-GYR plants. Salt stress in transgenic and control plants was similar, except under high NaCl concentrations (1.6%, w/w). Leaf water, proline, and MDA content (increased significantly) were significantly different. Transgenic A. annua GYR plants did not grow better than NON-GYR plants with respect to drought and herbicide resistance. The two varieties maintained vitality through the winter. Third, gene flow was studied in an environmental risk trial for transgenic GYR. The maximum gene flow frequency was 2.5%, while the maximum gene flow distance was 24.4 m; gene flow was not detected at 29.2 m at any direction. Our findings may provide an opportunity for risk assessment in future commercialization of transgenic A. annua varieties.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Shanghai, China.|Supervision, Inspection and Test Center for Environmental Safety of GM Crops of MOA, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Supervision, Inspection and Test Center for Environmental Safety of GM Crops of MOA, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Shanghai, China.|Supervision, Inspection and Test Center for Environmental Safety of GM Crops of MOA, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Supervision, Inspection and Test Center for Environmental Safety of GM Crops of MOA, Shanghai, China.|Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Supervision, Inspection and Test Center for Environmental Safety of GM Crops of MOA, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Supervision, Inspection and Test Center for Environmental Safety of GM Crops of MOA, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: L X
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Shanghai, China saas_xmtang@foxmail.com.|Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai, China saas_xmtang@foxmail.com.
authors.forename: X M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D031172:Artemisia annua / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D051456:Gene Flow; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D018525:Germination / Q000235:genetics; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D054712:Salinity; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D011392:Proline; C031327:artemisinin