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ISIS Report 02/06/08
Advisory Committee Ignores Warning of GM Hazards
Prof. Joe Cummins rebuts
decision on allowing the release GM potatoes
Britain’s Advisory
Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) has advised the Secretary
of State to allow Leeds University
to undertake open field releases of genetically modified (GM) potatoes resistant
to potato cyst nematodes [1]. ACRE’s
response to public comments reflects a disturbing bias towards GM technology
and disregard for safety
ACRE considered 103 representations from members
of the public but has mostly ignored the safety
issues raised [2] (Transgenic
Potato Not to be Released, SiS 38). I shall deal with some of them
here.
On the presence of the nptII antibiotic resistance marker gene
ACRE is of the opinion that the therapeutic
effect of antibiotics that are substrates for NPTII will not be compromised
by the presence of the nptII gene in GM plants. ACRE’s advice on
this issue is that (a) the likelihood of transfer of a functional gene from
plant material to bacteria is extremely low; (b) bacteria with resistance
to these antibiotics are widespread in the environment; and (c) acquisition
of an intact gene is only one of the possible mechanisms for bacteria to develop
resistance. These points also apply to the specific case of the proposed trial
of GM potato cyst nematode (PCN) repellent potatoes.”
The nptII gene is for resistance
to the antibiotic neomycin, a member of the aminoglycoside family. Thus resistance
to neomycin may be cross-resistant to other members of the aminoglycoside
family including kanamycin, streptomycin, gentamycin and tobramycin all
of which are used to treat humans or domestic animals [3] (Kanamycin Still Used and Cross-Reacts
with New Antibiotics, ISIS News9/10). We have also prepared an extensive
review which showed that horizontal transfer of transgenic DNA has indeed
occurred, and that it has been greatly underestimated [4] (Horizontal Gene Transfer
from GMOs Does Happen, SiS 38); hence, “There is little doubt that
environmental antibiotic resistance will be significantly enhanced by planting
crops modified with antibiotic resistance genes.”
The impact of the GM PCN resistant potatoes on natural populations of entomopathogenic
nematodes
ACRE is satisfied
by the evidence that shows that non-target nematodes would not be affected
by either cystatin or repellent GM potatoes. The Committee advises that it
is unlikely that PCN resistant potatoes would impact on natural populations
of entomopathogenic nematodes (beneficial nematodes
attacking insect pests), primarily because the exudates from potato is highly
specific to PCN.
However, no evidence was provided in the application for consent
[5] demonstrating that the cystatin or exudate from the modified potato was
specific to the soil nematode potato cyst nematode and harmless to beneficial
soil nematodes. The only nematode tested was the lab species Caenorhabditis
elegans, which is not a soil nematode, and the application proposed testing
beneficial predatory nematodes in the soil during the course of the field
trial [6, 7]..ACRE appears to have falsely stated results from experiments
proposed to be done in the field release that had not yet been done!
References
- Applicant: University of Leeds
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON RELEASES TO THE ENVIRONMENT Advice on an application
for deliberate release of a GMO for research and development purposes Application:
To release potato lines genetically modified for resistance to potato cyst
nematodes Ref: 07/R31/01 1 Date: 29
April 2008
- Cummins J. Control of potato cyst nematodes in transgenic potato. Science
in Society 38 (in press).
- Cummins J. Kanamycin still used and cross
reacts with new antibiotics. ISIS News 9/10, July 2001, http://www.i-sis.org.uk/isisnews/i-sisnews9-26.php
- Ho MW and Cummins J. Horizontal gene transfer
from GMOs does happen. Science in Society 38
(in press). http://www.i-sis.org.uk/horizontalGeneTransfer.php
- APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO RELEASE GMOs (FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN MARKETING)
UNDER THE GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (DELIBERATE RELEASE) REGULATIONS
2002 – HIGHER PLANTS Centre for Plant Sciences University of Leeds Control
of potato cyst-nematodes with minimised environmental impact 2008
- Kiontke K. and Sudhaus W. Ecology of Caenorhabditis
species (January 09, 2006), WormBook, ed. The
C. elegans Research Community, WormBook, doi/10.1895/wormbook.1.37.1, http://www.wormbook.org
- Khan Z and Kim Y A review on the role of predatory
soil nematodes in the biological control of plant parasitic nematodes. Applied
Soil Ecology 2007,35, 370-9/
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