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Which Cells in the Plant Contain Transgenes?

Transgenic plants have been genetically modified to produce traits they don't naturally possess. Scientists use recombinant DNA techniques to change genetic expression, which ideally produces some sort of benefit -- resulting in crops of transgenic plants, referred to as GM crops. While it is possible to locate the genes responsible for various traits, scientists first must know how these genes interact with other genes before modifying a given species. While now moving in a more positive direction, research around transgenic plant species remains highly controversial, largely due to a continued potential risk.

  1. Locating Transgenes In Plants

    • The genetic material manipulated to produce transgenic plant species (DNA) is present in the cells and tissues of the plant. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is made up of a combination (or sequence) of the chemical bases adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine. Genes are discrete segments located along this sequence. Identifying a particular gene that will produce a specific outcome is problematic at best, because genes are often interdependent with regard to function. In other words, changing the one gene will most certainly affect how other genes are expressed throughout the genome. Because of this, both public and private research is devoted to sequencing genes of popular crop species.

    Transgene Function

    • Plant genes are modified to increase crop yield, protect crops against insects and produce plants that are higher in quality. The transgenic Bt species of corn, for instance, was modified to produce its own pesticide. But creating more resistant species of plants is, at least for now, an imperfect exercise. Recent research suggests that while a particular plant may be modified to resist one form of stress, it may not be protected from another. That is the case with one transgenic species of squash modified to resist a common virus spread by aphids. The squash, it turns out, is vulnerable to beetle bacteria.

    Significance of Transgenic Plant Species

    • Just as plant crops can be modified to produce benefits, such benefits can cause harm that is, in many cases, impossible to predict. As a result, the effectiveness and safety of transgenic plant species is under fire. It was reported that GM crops in Germany at the turn of the century transferred GM genes to the guts of baby bees through pollen; the long term effects remain unknown. And this "horizontal gene transfer" has also been observed between transgenic species and the soil in which they grow -- the main concern being viral and bacterial spread. Still, the benefits are attractive. Russian scientists now suggest that expedited growth observed in transgenic birch and aspen populations could help rescue dying forests from extinction.

    Transgenic Crops of the Future

    • Despite technological growing pains, the future of transgenic crops looks promising. Golden rice, a genetically modified species that produces beta carotene, could address vitamin A deficiency -- a problem said to affect 124 million children worldwide. Meanwhile, scientists in London are developing apples with a protein that helps fight cavities, and plant-based vaccines might soon be administered orally, perhaps even in the form of our favorite salad.

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