Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T05:19:47.107Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Transgenic rapeseed: environmental release and its biosafety relevance in China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2007

Lu Chang-Ming*
Affiliation:
Oilcrops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, China
Xiao Ling
Affiliation:
Oilcrops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, China
Wu Yu-Hua
Affiliation:
Oilcrops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, China
*
*Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Research into, and the environmental release of, transgenic rapeseed in China are overviewed and the environmental risks are assessed, focusing on competitive survival ability, gene dispersal and biodiversity impact of transgenic rapeseed. It is concluded that transgenic rapeseed has a higher probability of gene dispersal when compared with other major crops. Brassica napus may transfer genes through pollen and seeds to vegetables and wild species of B. rapa and B. juncea, for which China is the biodiversity centre and also the country of highest consumption. It is considered that the risk of gene dispersal is present, but can be reduced to an acceptable limit. Commercialization of transgenic rapeseed should not be stopped, but should be built on a safe and sound basis by building a reasonable management system. Awarenes of biosafety considerations for transgenic rapeseed should be strengthened, and a technical platform of genetically modified organism (GMO) detection and monitoring should be properly established. Countermeasures against environmental risks are also discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © China Agricultural University and Cambridge University Press 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beckie, HJ, Hall, LM and Warwick, SI (2001) Impact of herbicide-resistant crops as weeds in Canada. Proceedings of the Brighton Crop Protection Conference–Weeds. Farnham, Surrey: British Crop Protection Council, pp. 135142.Google Scholar
Chévre, AM, Eber, F, Kerlan, MC et al. , (1996) Interspecific gene flow as a component of risk assessment for transgenic brassicas. Acta Horticulturae 407: 169179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guan, CY, Wang, GH, Chen, SY, Li, G and Lin, LB (2000) Breeding and agronomic characters of transgenic insect-resistant Brassica napus lines. Acta Agriculturae Universitatis Hunanensis 26: 335336.Google Scholar
Guo, XL, Wang, HZ, Li, J and Yang, Q (2001) Mutagenesis of transgenic Brassica napus L. with maize transposable element Ac. Chinese Journal of Oil Crop Sciences 23: 711.Google Scholar
Hall, L, Topinka, K, Huffman, J, Davis, L and Good, A (2000) Pollen flow between herbicide-resistant Brassica napus is the cause of multiple-resistant B. napus volunteers. Weed Science 48: 688694.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
He, YH, Xiong, XH, Guan, CY et al. , (2003) The pTA29-barnase chimeric gene transformation of Brassica napus mediated by Agrobacterium. Acta Agronomic Sinica 29: 615620.Google Scholar
Hou, BK, Hu, ZM, Dang, BY, Shi, R and Chen, ZH (2002) Site-specific integration of insect-resistant gene into chloroplast genome of oilseed rape and acquisition of transgenic plants. Journal of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology 28: 187192.Google Scholar
Huang, QH, Yang, GW, Li, DM, Luo, XY and Pei, Y (2002) Preliminary studies on transgenic rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) with FPF1 gene mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Journal of Southwest Agricultural University 24: 124127.Google Scholar
Jin, H, Fu, CM and Xu, JS (1997) Establishment and detection of transgenic male sterile plants in Brassica napus. Agriculture Science of Tianjing 3: 19.Google Scholar
Kuvshinov, VV, Koivu, K, Kanerva, A and Pehu, E (2001) Molecular control of transgene escape from genetically modified plants. Plant Science 160: 517522.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lan, HY, Wang, CH, Zhang, LH et al. , (2000) Studies on transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus) plants transformed with β-1,3-glucanase and chitinase genes and its resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorium. Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 16: 142146.Google ScholarPubMed
Lang, CX, Hu, ZH, Liu, ZH, Huang, RZ and Chen, JQ (1999) Agrobacterium mediated transformation of Brassica napus and the expression of the antisense PEP gene in the transgenic plants. Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis 11: 5558.Google Scholar
Lavigne, C, Manac'h, H, Guyard, C and Gasquez, J (1995) The cost of herbicide resistance in white-chicory: Ecological implications for its commercial release. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 91: 13011308.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, XB, Zheng, SX, Dong, WB, Chen, GR, Mao, HZ and Bai, YY (1999) Insect-resistant transgenic plants of Brassica napus and analysis of resistance in the plants. Acta Genetica Sinica 26: 262268.Google ScholarPubMed
Li, YH (1998) Chinese Weeds. Beijing: China Agricultural Press, pp. 421471.Google Scholar
Liu, HL (1985) Rapeseed Genetics and Breeding. Shanghai: Shanghai Scientific and Technological Publishing House, p. 28.Google Scholar
Lu, AL, Chen, ZH, Kong, LJ, Fang, RX, Cun, SX and Mang, KQ (1996) Transgenic Brassica napus resistant to Turnip mosaic virus. Acta Genetica Sinica 23: 7783.Google ScholarPubMed
Lu, CM and Kato, M (2001) Fertilization fitness and relation to chromosome number in interspecific progeny between Brassica napus and B. rapa: A comparative study using natural and resynthesized B. napus. Breeding Science 51: 7381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lu, CM, Shen, FS and Hu, K (2001a) Interspecific heterosis in hybrids between Brassica napus and B. rapa Sabrai. Journal of Genetics and Breeding 30: 7386.Google Scholar
Lu, CM, Kato, M and Kakihara, F (2002) Destiny of a transgene escape from Brassica napus to B. rapa. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 105: 7884.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lu, CM, Xiao, L, Wu, YH and Wu, G (2004) RNAi construct targeting fae1 gene for low erucic acid content in rapeseed. In: Panel of Oilcrops Sub-society, Chinese Crops Society (editors) Oilcrops of China in Safety Strategy of Food and Energy. Beijing: China Agricultural Science and Technology Press, pp. 258265.Google Scholar
Lu, WX, Li, MY, Pei, Y, Jin, ZP and Luo, XY (2001b) Incorporating maize chitinase into rapeseed (Brassica napus) by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Journal of Southwest Agricultural University 23: 130133.Google Scholar
Lutman, PJW (1993) The occurrence and persistence of volunteer oilseed rape (Brassica napus). Aspects of Applied Biology 35: 2935.Google Scholar
Manasse, R and Kareiva, P (1991) Quantifying the spread of recombinant genes and organisms. In: Ginzburg, L (editor) Assessing Ecological Risks of Biotechnology. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann, pp. 215231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCartney, HA and Lacey, ME (1991) Wind dispersal models of pollen from crops of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). Journal of Aerosol Science 22: 467477.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mesquida, J and Renard, M (1982) Study of the pollen dispersal by wind and of the importance of wind pollination in rapeseed (Brassica napus var. oleifera Metzger). Apidologie 4: 353366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morris, WF, Kareiva, PM and Raymer, PL (1994) Do barren zones and pollen traps reduce gene escape from transgenic crops? Ecological Applications 4: 157165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Namai, H, Sarashima, M and Hosoda, T (1980) Interspecific and intergeneric hybridization breeding in Japan. In: Tsunoda, S, Hinada, K and Gomez-Campo, C (editors) Brassica crops and Wild Allies: Biology and Breeding. Tokyo: Japanese Science Society Press, pp. 191202.Google Scholar
Pekrun, C, Hewitt, JDJ and Lutman, PJW (1998) Cultural control of volunteer oilseed rape. Journal of Agricultural Science 130: 155163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peng, RW, Zhou, XR, Wang, JL, Fang, RX, Cheng, ZH and Mang, KQ (1998) Transgenic oilseed rape plants expressing barstar gene and bar gene. Acta Genetica Sinica 25: 7479.Google Scholar
Quiros, CF, Ochoa, O, Kianian, SK and Douches, D (1987) Analysis of the Brassica oleracea genome by the generation of B. campestris–oleracea chromosome addition lines: Characterization of isozymes and rRNA genes. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 74: 758766.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rieger, MA, Potter, TD, Preston, C and Powles, SB (2001) Hybridisation between Brassica napus L. and Raphanus raphanistrum L. under agronomic field conditions. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 103: 555560.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scheffler, JA, Parkinson, R and Dale, PJ (1993) Frequency and distance of pollen dispersal from transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus). Transgenic Research 2: 356364.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scheffler, JA, Parkinson, R and Dale, PJ (1995) Evaluating the effectiveness of isolation distances for field plots of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) using a herbicide-resistance transgene as a selectable marker. Plant Breeding 114: 317321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schernthaner, JP, Fabijanski, SF, Arnison, PG, Racicot, M and Robert, LS (2003) Control of seed germination in transgenic plants based on the segregation of a two-component genetic system. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 100: 68556859.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Seeley, TD (1985) Honeybee Ecology. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, P. 201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shi, QD, Zhou, YH, Hu, ZM, Zhang, LH, Liu, GZ and Chen, ZH (2001) Introduction of trans desaturase gene into Brassica napus L. via particle bombardment and obtaining of transgenic plants. Journal of Agricultural Biotechnology 9: 359362.Google Scholar
Simard, MJ, Légère, A, Pageau, D, Lajeunnesse, J and Warwick, SI (2002) The frequency and persistence of canola (Brassica napus) volunteers in Québec cropping systems. Weed Technology 16: 433439.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Staniland, BK, McVetty, PBE, Friesen, LF, Yarrow, S, Freyssinet, G and Freyssinet, M (2000) Effectiveness of border areas in confining the spread of transgenic Brassica napus pollen. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 80: 521526.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tang, KX, Xu, YN, Li, XF and Sun, XF (2001) Production of transgenic rape (Brassica napus L.) plants expressing snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis Agglutinin) gene. Journal of Fudan University 40: 683689.Google Scholar
Thompson, CE, Squire, G, Mackay, GR, Bradshaw, JE, Crawford, J and Ramsay, G (1999) Regional patterns of gene flow and its consequences for GM oilseed rape. In: Lutman, P (editor) Gene Flow and Agriculture: Relevance for Transgenic Crops. BCPC Symposium Proceeding No. 72. Farnham, Surrey: British Crop Protection Council, pp. 95100.Google Scholar
Timmons, AM, O'Brien, ET, Charters, YM, Dubbels, SJ and Wilkinson, MJ (1995) Assessing the risks of wind pollination from fields of genetically modified Brassica napus ssp. oleifera. Euphytica 85: 417423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wan, M, Cun, SX, Qiu, SF, Li, GZ, Zeng, LQ and He, JM (1995) Antivirus genetic transformation of Brassica napus cultivars containing low erucic acid and glucosinolates. Southwest China Journal of Agricultural Sciences 8: 2731.Google Scholar
Wang, XF, Wang, HZ, Liu, GH, Hu, ZM and Zheng, YB (2004) Genetic transformation of isolated microspores from Brassica napus with bivalent genes. Journal of Agricultural Biotechnology 12: 138142.Google Scholar
Xu, GS, Rao, YQ and Meng, JL (2003) The genetic transformation of Brassica napus with tissue and development specific coexpression antifungal genes. Molecular Plant Breeding 1: 303312.Google Scholar
Yang, ZY, Wang, LL, Song, GY, Zhang, LH, Liu, GZ and Chen, ZH (1999) Studies on introduction of bean chitinase gene into Brassica napus via laser microbeam puncture. Acta Laser Biology Sinica 8: 811.Google Scholar
Ye, L, Li, C and Song, YR (2000) Construction of bivalent and trivalent vectors and specific expression of PHB related genes in rapeseed. Chinese Science Bulletin 45: 516521.Google Scholar
Zhang, HY, Tian, YC, Zhou, YH et al. , (1998) Recovery of transgenic rapeseed plants resistant to virus through transfering cDNA for Pokeweed antiviral protein from seeds of Phytolacca acinosa. Chinese Science Bulletin 43: 25342537.Google Scholar
Zhen, W, Chen, X, Sun, SY, Hu, YL and Lin, ZP (2000) Genetic transformation of rapeseed and tobacco with transcriptional factor CBFI and the cold resistance of the transformants. Progress in Natural Science 10: 11041108.Google Scholar
Zhong, R, Zhu, F, Liu, YL, Li, SG, Kang, LY and Luo, P (1997) Oilseed rape transformation and the establishment of a bromoxynil-resistant transgenic oilseed rape. Acta Botanica Sinica 39: 2227.Google Scholar
Zhou, XR, Peng, RW, Fang, RX, Cheng, ZH and Mang, KQ (1997) Obtaining male sterile oilseed rape by specific expression of RNase gene. Acta Genetica Sinica 24: 531536.Google Scholar
Zhou, YQ, Jiang, DH, Cai, YN and Wu, BH (1993) A preliminary report on genetic transformation of rapeseed with cry1Aa10 gene mediated by Agrobacterium. Journal of Henan Normal University 21: 116.Google Scholar