Wageningen, The Netherlands
April 3, 2008
Potato plants containing a gene
coding for the so-called T4-lysozyme via genetic modification
have no obvious unintentional effects on the composition of
microflora in the soil near the roots or inside plants. The use
of such genes for the development of plants with increased
resistance to harmful bacteria and fungi has a major potential.
These findings came from research performed at
Wageningen UR that will be
published soon in FEMS Microbiology Ecology. Via molecular
fingerprinting it was shown that the growth stage of potato
plants had the greatest impact on microflora in the soil
surrounding the roots (the rhizosphere) and inside the plants
(the endosphere).
“You could say that by choosing the T4-lysozyme modified potato
line as model we could expect the highest chance on
unintentional effects,” explains WUR scientist Leo van Overbeek.
“However, the gene apparently does not have any observable
impact on the microflora. This indicates that the use of such
genes for application in sustainable agriculture might become a
promising method.”
Potato plants with genes combating pathogenic fungi and bacteria
could be of major importance for sustainability in agriculture.
Plants modified with such genes could require lower doses of
chemical pesticides.
Genes coding for resistance against a broad spectrum of
pathogenic fungi and bacteria could possibly have unintentional
effects on the soil microflora. This was the reason why
Wageningen UR institute Plant Research International and its
partners in a European consortium investigated the effects of
T4-lysozyme, a protein that is active against many different
micro-organisms. Plants equipped with the gene coding for
T4-lysozyme produce a protein in their roots which intentionally
will protect the plants from bacterial and fungal attack.
The scientists performed their research in soil in the proximity
of the plant roots, the rhizosphere, which this is considered to
be the most likely place where effects can be expected. They
also investigated the micro-organisms that lived inside plants.
The scientists used an advanced technology, PCR-DGGE community
fingerprinting, for their research. This allows precise
‘fingerprinting’ of the microflora with the omission of
bacterial cultivation. Shifts in microflora can be measured via
this approach. The scientists were especially focussed on the
so-called group of antagonists, which are useful micro-organisms
that have the potential to suppress harmful micro-organisms.
The growth stage of potato plants proved to have the greatest
impact on the composition of the microflora (which undergoes
significant changes during the growing season). In addition, it
appeared that the microflora was also influenced by the choice
of potato variety. On the other hand, the genetic modification
with the T4-lysozyme seemed to have no major effect. This shows
that using such genes for the development of plants with a
higher resistance to bacteria and fungi might be a good approach
to combat pathogens with the omission of pesticide applications.
The Plant Sciences Group of
Wageningen UR is a collaboration of:
- Plant Research International B.V.
- Applied Plant Research (Praktijkonderzoek Plant & Omgeving
B.V.)
- Wageningen University |
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