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Rapeseed cytoplasm gives advantage in wild relatives and complicates genetically modified crop biocontainment

Allainguillaume, J.; Harwood, T.; Ford, C. S.; Cuccato, G.; Norris, C.; Allender, C. J.; Welters, R.; King, G. J.; Wilkinson, M. J.

Authors

T. Harwood

C. S. Ford

G. Cuccato

C. Norris

C. J. Allender

R. Welters

G. J. King

M. J. Wilkinson



Abstract

Biocontainment methods for genetically modified crops closest to commercial reality (chloroplast transformation, male sterility) would be compromised (in absolute terms) by seed-mediated gene flow leading to chloroplast capture. Even in these circumstances, however, it can be argued that biocontainment still represses transgene movement, with the efficacy depending on the relative frequency of seed- and pollen-mediated gene flow. • In this study, we screened for crop-specific chloroplast markers from rapeseed (Brassica napus) amongst sympatric and allopatric populations of wild B. oleracea in natural cliff-top populations and B. rapa in riverside and weedy populations. • We found only modest crop chloroplast presence in wild B. oleracea and in weedy B. rapa, but a surprisingly high incidence in sympatric (but not in allopatric) riverside B. rapa populations. Chloroplast inheritance models indicate that elevated crop chloroplast acquisition is best explained if crop cytoplasm confers selective advantage in riverside B. rapa populations. • Our results therefore imply that chloroplast transformation may slow transgene recruitment in two settings, but actually accelerate transgene spread in a third. This finding suggests that the appropriateness of chloroplast transformation for biocontainment policy depends on both context and geographical location.

Citation

Allainguillaume, J., Harwood, T., Ford, C. S., Cuccato, G., Norris, C., Allender, C. J., …Wilkinson, M. J. (2009). Rapeseed cytoplasm gives advantage in wild relatives and complicates genetically modified crop biocontainment. New Phytologist, 183(4), 1201-1211. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02877.x

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Sep 1, 2009
Journal New Phytologist
Print ISSN 0028-646X
Electronic ISSN 1469-8137
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 183
Issue 4
Pages 1201-1211
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02877.x
Keywords biocontainment, brassica, napus, brassica rapa, chloroplast capture, chloroplast transformation, genetically modified (GM) crops, hybrid, rapeseed
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1000439
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02877.x