Transgenic organisms and biosafety horizontal gene transfer, stability of DNA, and expression of transgenes ; with 47 tables

In the fast developing field of gene and biotechnology the construction and use of transgenic organisms play an increasingly important role. A frequently asked question is whether these genetically modified organisms are safe if used either in laboratory containments or in the open field. This holds especiall true for the commercialization of transgenic organisms. An important aspect of "Biosafety" is the stability of transgenic DNA and the reliable expression of the transgene. A second aspect is the potential for horizontal gene transfer from transgenic to non-transgenic organisms. Most of the articles deal with these important questions. The book may thus contribute to the public debate about the biosafety of transgenic organisms by presenting original experimental data as well as theoretical considerations. Some of the contributions are useful reviews of the relevant literature. The book does not only contain academic research articles, a number of the reports are written by "practitioners" actually using gene technology in the pharmaceutical and agro-industries. Thus, the interested reader can find a broad range of information on purely academic questions as well as on problems which gene technology companies have to cope with when a transgenic organism is to be field-tested and commercialized. In The Fast Developing Field Of Genetics And Biotechnology The Construction And Use Of Transgenic Organisms Play An Increasingly Important Role. A Frequently Asked Question Is Whether These Genetically Modified Organisms Are Safe If Used Either In Laboratory Containments Or In The Open Field. This Holds Especially True For The Commercialization Of Transgenic Organisms. An Important Aspect Of Biosafety Is The Stability Of Transgenic Dna And The Reliable Expression Of The Transgene. A Second Aspect Is The Potential For Horizontal Gene Transfer From Transgenic To Non-transgenic Organisms. Most Of The Articles Deal With These Important Questions. The Book May Thus Contribute To The Public Debate About The Biosafety Of Transgenic Organisms By Presenting Original Experimental Data As Well As Theoretical Considerations. Some Of The Contributions Are Useful Reviews Only The Relevant Literature. The Book Does Not Only Contain Academic Research Articles, A Number Of The Reports Are Written By Practitioners Actually Using Gene Technology In The Pharmaceutical And Agro-industries. Thus, The Interested Reader Can Find A Broad Range Of Information On Purely Academic Questions As Well As On Problems Which Gene Technology Companies Have To Cope With When A Transgenic Organism Is To Be Field-tested And Commercialized. 1. Gene Transfer Between Organelles And The Nucleus In Lower Eukaryotes / K. Wolf -- 2. Horizontal Transfers And The Evolution Of Transposable Elements / P. Capy, C. Bazin, D. Anxolabehere And T. Langin -- 3. Transposable Elements In Baculoviruses: Their Possible Role In Horizontal Gene Transfer / J. A. Jehle And J. M. Vlak -- 4. From Gene Transfer To Risk Assessment: Experiences With Genetic Variability In Baculoviruses And New Approaches To Analyse The Reaction Of Microbial Communities To Stress Factors / H. Backhaus, A. Nickel, E. Fritsch, J. Huber, K. Wendt-potthoff, B. Engelen, A. Felske, U. Nubel And J. A. Jehle -- 5. Examination Of The Putative Horizontal Gene Transfer From Transgenic Plants To Agrobacteria / I. Broer, W. Droge-laser And M. Gerke -- 6. Can Agrobacteria Be Eliminated From Transgenic Plants? / J. Landsmann, E. Graser, A. Riedel-preuss And C. Van Der Hoeven -- 7. Preliminary Findings Of Dna Transfer From Transgenic Plants To A Wild-type Strain Of Aspergillus Niger / T. Hoffmann, C. Golz And O. Schieder -- 8. Gene Dispersal From Transgenic Crops / P. J. Dale And J. A. Scheffler -- 9. Evaluation Of Potential Gene Transfer From Transgenic Plants / D. Mitten, K. Redenbaugh And J. Lindemann -- 10. Efficiency Of Horizontal Transfer By Natural Genetic Transformation Of Plasmids With Homology To The Pseudomonas Stutzeri Chromosome And The Effect Of Dna Restriction / M. G. Lorenz, B. Meyer And W. Wackernagel -- 11. Accidental Formation Of Replication-competent Viruses From Gene Transfer By Retroviral Vectors / D. Klehr-wirth, M. Wirth, R. Grannemann, C. Munk And H. Hauser -- 12. Transgenic Expression Of A Toxin-coding Killer Virus Of The Yeast Zygosaccharomyces Bailii In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae: Genetic Evidence For A Possible Function Of Cryptic Mycoviruses In The Evolution Of Their Hosts / F. Neuhausen And M. J. Schmitt. 13. Foreign Dna In Mammalian Cells And Organisms / W. Doerfler, K. Fechteler, H. Heller, C. Kammer, M. Knoblauch, P. Koetsier, G. Orend, J. Schroer And R. Schubbert -- 14. Persistence Of Dna In The Environment And Its Potential For Bacterial Genetic Transformation / W. Wackernagel -- 15. Persistence Of Dna In Natural Soils: Adsorption To Particulate Material Provides Protection Against Nucleolytic Degradation / S. A. E. Blum, M. G. Lorenz And W. Wackernagel -- 16. Degradation Of Transforming Dna In A Groundwater Aquifer Microcosm By The Extracellular Nuclease Of Serratia Marcescens Sm6 And Application Of The Nuclease In A New Conditional Suicide System For Escherichia Coli / I. Ahrenholtz, M. G. Lorenz And W. Wackernagel -- 17. A Conditional Suicide System For Genetically Engineered Bacteria Based On The Endonuclease I Gene Of Escherichia Coli / M. Jekel, M. G. Lorenz And W. Wackernagel -- 18. Identification And Characterization Of Extrachromosomal Circular Dna Released From A Genetically Modified Chromosome Of Hansenula Polymorpha / S. Graupner And W. Wackernagel -- 19. Instability Of Tandem Repetitive Dna In Natural And Transgenic Organisms / T. Hankeln, A. Winterpacht And E. R. Schmidt -- 20. Range Of Expression And Transmission Instability Of The Kanamycin-resistance Reporter Gene In Direct Gene Transfer Experiments / W. Cherdshewasart, G. B. Gharti-chhetri And I. Negrutiu -- 21. Variability Of Organ-specific Expression Of Reporter Genes In Transgenic Plants / J. Landsmann, C. Van Der Hoeven And A. Dietz-pfeilstetter -- 22. Heat-induced Loss Of Transgene Activity Detected And Analysed In Several Transgenic Nicotiana Tabacum Lines / K. Neumann, W. Droge-laser, S. Kohne And I. Broer -- 23. Quantification Of Heat Treatment-induced Transgene Silencing Using Single Cells Of Nicotiana Tabacum / S. Kohne, K. Neumann, W. Droge-laser And I. Broer. 24. Genetic Stability And Expression Of Foreign Genes In Transgenic Lines Of The Legume Vicia Narbonensis / M. Meixner, S. Brinkmann, O. Schieder And T. Pickardt -- 25. Characterization Of A Plant Scaffold-attached Region From A T-dna Integration Site / A. Dietz-pfeilstetter, V. Kay, J. Landsmann And J. Bode -- 26. Expression Of Antibody Single-chain Fragments With Specificities To Structural And Nonstructural Proteins Of Beet Necrotic Yellow Vein Virus In Plants: An Alternative Approach To Produce Virus Resistant Plants / L. F. Fecker, U. Commandeur, A. Kaufmann, G. Himmler, R. Koenig And W. Burgermeister -- 27. Gene Transfer In Aspen / M. Fladung And M. R. Ahuja -- 28. Manufacture Of Proteins Based On Recombinant Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells: Assessment Of Genetic Issues And Assurance Of Consistency And Quality / F. M. Wurm, C. J. Petropoulos And J. V. O'connor -- 29. Out In The Open: Field Trials With Genetically Modified Crop Plants In Four European Countries, Chile And The United States / T. A. W. M. Saat -- 30. How Will Transgenic Sugar Beets Behave In Natural Plant Communities? / D. Bartsch, A. Emonds, H. Gluth, C. Haag, C. Morak, M. Pohl-orf And M. Schmidt. E.r. Schmidt, T. Hankeln (eds.). Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages I-XX Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Gene Transfer Between Organelles and the Nucleus in Lower Eukaryotes....Pages 3-14 Horizontal Transfers and the Evolution of Transposable Elements....Pages 15-30 Transposable Elements in Baculoviruses: Their Possible Role in Horizontal Gene Transfer....Pages 31-41 From Gene Transfer to Risk Assessment: Experiences with Genetic Variability in Baculoviruses and New Approaches to Analyse the Reaction of Microbial Communities to Stress Factors....Pages 43-66 Examination of the Putative Horizontal Gene Transfer from Transgenic Plants to Agrobacteria ....Pages 67-70 Can Agrobacteria Be Eliminated from Transgenic Plants?....Pages 71-76 Preliminary Findings of DNA Transfer from Transgenic Plants to a Wild-Type Strain of Aspergillus niger ....Pages 77-84 Gene Dispersal from Transgenic Crops....Pages 85-93 Evaluation of Potential Gene Transfer from Transgenic Plants....Pages 95-100 Efficiency of Horizontal Transfer by Natural Genetic Transformation of Plasmids with Homology to the Pseudomonas stutzeri Chromosome and the Effect of DNA Restriction....Pages 101-104 Accidental Formation of Replication-Competent Viruses from Gene Transfer by Retroviral Vectors....Pages 105-115 Transgenic Expression of a Toxin-Coding Killer Virus of the Yeast Zygosaccharomyces bailii in Saccharomyces cerevisiae : Genetic Evidence for a Possible Function of “Cryptic” Mycoviruses in the Evolution of Their Hosts....Pages 117-124 Foreign DNA in Mammalian Cells and Organisms....Pages 125-133 Front Matter....Pages 135-135 Persistence of DNA in the Environment and Its Potential for Bacterial Genetic Transformation....Pages 137-146 Persistence of DNA in Natural Soils: Adsorption to Particulate Material Provides Protection Against Nucleolytic Degradation....Pages 147-154 Degradation of Transforming DNA in a Groundwater Aquifer Microcosm by the Extracellular Nuclease of Serratia marcescens SM6 and Application of the Nuclease in a New Conditional Suicide System for Escherichia coli ....Pages 155-163 A Conditional Suicide System for Genetically Engineered Bacteria Based on the Endonuclease I Gene of Escherichia coli ....Pages 165-169 Identification and Characterization of Extrachromosomal Circular DNA Released from a Genetically Modified Chromosome of Hansenula polymorpha ....Pages 171-180 Instability of Tandem Repetitive DNA in “Natural” and Transgenic Organisms....Pages 181-208 Front Matter....Pages 209-209 Range of Expression and Transmission Instability of the Kanamycin-Resistance Reporter Gene in Direct Gene Transfer Experiments....Pages 211-221 Front Matter....Pages 209-209 Variability of Organ-Specific Expression of Reporter Genes in Transgenic Plants....Pages 223-230 Heat-Induced Loss of Transgene Activity Detected and Analysed in Several Transgenic Nicotiana tabacum Lines....Pages 231-238 Quantification of Heat Treatment-Induced Transgene Silencing Using Single Cells of Nicotiana tabacum ....Pages 239-247 Genetic Stability and Expression of Foreign Genes in Transgenic Lines of the Legume Vicia narbonensis ....Pages 249-260 Characterization of a Plant Scaffold-Attached Region from a T-DNA Integration Site....Pages 261-268 Expression of Antibody Single-Chain Fragments with Specificities to Structural and Nonstructural Proteins of Beet Necrotic Yellow Vein Virus in Plants: An Alternative Approach To Produce Virus Resistant Plants....Pages 269-274 Gene Transfer in Aspen....Pages 275-281 Manufacture of Proteins Based on Recombinant Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells: Assessment of Genetic Issues and Assurance of Consistency and Quality....Pages 283-301 Front Matter....Pages 303-303 Out in the Open: Field Trials with Genetically Modified Crop Plants in Four European Countries, Chile and the United States....Pages 305-317 How Will Transgenic Sugar Beets Behave in Natural Plant Communities....Pages 319-329 Back Matter....Pages 331-335 Gene/biotechnology and the broad use of genetically modified organisms is rapidly developing into a commercial enterprise. In spite of the pace of scientific progress in this field, a partly emotional debate is still being carried on by the general public and on the part of the consumer about the potential risks linked to this new technology. Especially when genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are tested in the open field, the question of'safety'is controversially discussed among different groups in society. Environmentalists are worried about unforeseeable dangers inherent in the release of a living organism, assuming that special risks are linked to organisms which have been modified by molecular biologists using tools developed in the laboratory. Frequently quoted potential hazards are the phenomena of'gene escape'and'genetic pollution', meaning the very interesting question of natural (horizontal) gene transfer. This phenomenon of horizontal gene transfer is in fact well known to scientists studying prokaryotes. Many prokaryotes are able to exchange DNA readily between individuals of different species or are even able to take up DNA from the extracellular environment by the process of genetic transformation, which has already been known for more than 65 years. For eukaryotes, however, the evidence of natural horizontal gene transfer is very limited. Gene/biotechnology and the broad use of genetically modified organisms is rapidly developing into a commercial enterprise. Frequently quoted potential hazards are the phenomena of "gene escape" and "genetic pollution", meaning the very interesting question of natural (horizontal) gene transfer.