Transgene Bioconfinement: Don’t Flow There
The adoption of genetically engineered (GE) crops has led to economic and environmental benefits. However, there are regulatory and environmental concerns regarding the potential movement of transgenes beyond cultivation. These concerns are greater for GE crops with high outcrossing frequencies to s...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-03-01
|
| Series: | Plants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/5/1099 |
| _version_ | 1797614585809731584 |
|---|---|
| author | Jessica N. Stockdale Reginald J. Millwood |
| author_facet | Jessica N. Stockdale Reginald J. Millwood |
| author_sort | Jessica N. Stockdale |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The adoption of genetically engineered (GE) crops has led to economic and environmental benefits. However, there are regulatory and environmental concerns regarding the potential movement of transgenes beyond cultivation. These concerns are greater for GE crops with high outcrossing frequencies to sexually compatible wild relatives and those grown in their native region. Newer GE crops may also confer traits that enhance fitness, and introgression of these traits could negatively impact natural populations. Transgene flow could be lessened or prevented altogether through the addition of a bioconfinement system during transgenic plant production. Several bioconfinement approaches have been designed and tested and a few show promise for transgene flow prevention. However, no system has been widely adopted despite nearly three decades of GE crop cultivation. Nonetheless, it may be necessary to implement a bioconfinement system in new GE crops or in those where the potential of transgene flow is high. Here, we survey such systems that focus on male and seed sterility, transgene excision, delayed flowering, as well as the potential of CRISPR/Cas9 to reduce or eliminate transgene flow. We discuss system utility and efficacy, as well as necessary features for commercial adoption. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:13:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7dd7346dd90b4b44a58cebb4c59d816a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:13:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-7dd7346dd90b4b44a58cebb4c59d816a2023-11-17T08:24:07ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472023-03-01125109910.3390/plants12051099Transgene Bioconfinement: Don’t Flow ThereJessica N. Stockdale0Reginald J. Millwood1Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee (UTK), Knoxville, TN 37996, USADepartment of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee (UTK), Knoxville, TN 37996, USAThe adoption of genetically engineered (GE) crops has led to economic and environmental benefits. However, there are regulatory and environmental concerns regarding the potential movement of transgenes beyond cultivation. These concerns are greater for GE crops with high outcrossing frequencies to sexually compatible wild relatives and those grown in their native region. Newer GE crops may also confer traits that enhance fitness, and introgression of these traits could negatively impact natural populations. Transgene flow could be lessened or prevented altogether through the addition of a bioconfinement system during transgenic plant production. Several bioconfinement approaches have been designed and tested and a few show promise for transgene flow prevention. However, no system has been widely adopted despite nearly three decades of GE crop cultivation. Nonetheless, it may be necessary to implement a bioconfinement system in new GE crops or in those where the potential of transgene flow is high. Here, we survey such systems that focus on male and seed sterility, transgene excision, delayed flowering, as well as the potential of CRISPR/Cas9 to reduce or eliminate transgene flow. We discuss system utility and efficacy, as well as necessary features for commercial adoption.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/5/1099bioconfinementtransgenic plantsGE cropsgene flowmale sterilitytransgene excision |
| spellingShingle | Jessica N. Stockdale Reginald J. Millwood Transgene Bioconfinement: Don’t Flow There Plants bioconfinement transgenic plants GE crops gene flow male sterility transgene excision |
| title | Transgene Bioconfinement: Don’t Flow There |
| title_full | Transgene Bioconfinement: Don’t Flow There |
| title_fullStr | Transgene Bioconfinement: Don’t Flow There |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transgene Bioconfinement: Don’t Flow There |
| title_short | Transgene Bioconfinement: Don’t Flow There |
| title_sort | transgene bioconfinement don t flow there |
| topic | bioconfinement transgenic plants GE crops gene flow male sterility transgene excision |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/5/1099 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jessicanstockdale transgenebioconfinementdontflowthere AT reginaldjmillwood transgenebioconfinementdontflowthere |