RNAi转基因作物安全评价研究进展

在秀丽隐杆线虫中首次发现双链RNA(dsRNA)能特异性地导致基因沉默(RNAi)现象后,人们开始大量地研究RNAi技术,并将其应用于功能基因的研究,来提高作物的抗性和改良遗传育种等。本文详细介绍了RNAi的技术原理,并且对RNAi技术与传统转基因技术的区别进行分析,阐述了该技术具有重要的生物学意义,以及在农作物害虫防治领域的占据独特优势。基于RNAi技术存在的潜在脱靶效应,从改良植物、靶标生物和生态环境的3个方面具体分析该技术可能存在的风险,为RNAi技术的风险评估提供参考。由于RNAi技术仍存在风险,为了维护生态多样性和保障人们的人身安全,应尽快建立起符合实际需求的安全性评价方法,本文针对RNAi转基因作物的环境安全和食用安全2个方面的评估方案进行概述。RNAi技术对减少害虫数量、提高水稻产量、降低种植成本以及减少化学农药污染、促进农业可持续发展来说具有重要意义,但该技术仍存在风险,需要进一步监管和研究,建立完善的生态评价系统,让RNAi技术在农业生产上发挥作用。     

转基因抗虫作物对捕食性瓢虫的安全性研究进展

转基因抗虫作物的商业化种植带来了显著的经济、生态和社会效益,对转基因抗虫作物的安全性评价也一直是国内外学者研究的热点。对生物非靶标效应的研究是转基因抗虫作物安全性评价的重要组成部分,农田天敌类生物是其中的重点内容之一。瓢虫是农田生态系统重要的捕食性天敌,评价其在转基因抗虫作物田间是否能通过捕食猎物或取食花粉而接触到杀虫蛋白并富集于体内,进而对自身产生一定的非靶标效应,这对捕食性瓢虫的安全性研究具有重要的意义。本文从捕食性天敌瓢虫的生命表参数、行为功能参数、田间群落参数及体内微环境指标等方面综述了转基因抗虫作物对瓢虫的安全性研究进展,并对后期转基因抗虫作物对田间捕食性天敌的研究方向提出了建议,以期为转基因抗虫作物的环境安全性研究提供理论指导和为进一步完善转基因抗虫作物对瓢虫安全性评价的技术体系提供系统的数据资料。     

Describing maize (Zea Mays L.) landrace persistence in the Bajío of Mexico: A survey of 1940s and 1950s collection locations

Passport data for Mexico’s Guanajuato State were used to locate the sites where maize was collected in the 1940s and 1950s in an effort to document and conserve diversity. A map presenting survey points illustrates that collections have occurred repeatedly in the same locations. Observations of these locations reveal that urbanization and industrialization, not high yielding varieties, are displacing traditional varieties. Non-linear principal components analysis was used to assess associations between variables in areas where maize persists. Landraces appear to be associated with mountains and mesas, mixed cropping, little or no access to irrigation and areas classified as having low agricultural capacity; conversely, landraces have more commonly been replaced in areas of high agricultural capacity. The areas of high agriculture capacity, located in the riparian areas and plains, also have been the easiest to develop for urban and industrial use. Increasingly high rates of urbanization and development in areas of high agriculture capacity will impede the conservation of crop diversity in these areas.     

Intellectual property, genetically modified crops and bioethics

The implementation of a new technology is almost always surrounded by a debate on the moral and social implications that may arise. The debate with regard to genetically modified (GM) crops has been one of the longest and most controversial. However, one area of the debate that receives less attention is the role that intellectual property can play. The introduction of an effective and yet appropriate intellectual property system addressing society's particular needs can eliminate some of these issues. This paper looks at whether the situation in Europe is meeting our current needs and also addresses the role intellectual property can play in the debate over the introduction of GM crops in developing countries.     

Examining the behavior of crop-derived antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic sludge batch reactors under thermophilic conditions

The consumption of transgenic crops and their by-products has become increasingly common in the United States. Yet, uncertainty remains regarding the fate and behavior of DNA within food matrices once it exits the digestive track and enters into wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Because many transgenic crops have historically contained antibiotic resistance genes as selection markers, understanding the behavior and uptake of these transgenes by environmental microbes is of critical importance. To investigate the behavior of free transgenic crop DNA, thermophilic anaerobic batch reactors were amended with varying concentrations of transgenic crop genes (i.e., LUG, nptII, and bla) and the persistence of those genes was monitored over 60 days using quantitative PCR. Significant levels of nptII and bla were detected in extracellular DNA (eDNA). Furthermore, LUG maize marker genes were also detected in the control reactors, suggesting that other crop-derived transgenes contained within digested transgenic foods may also enter WWTPs. Possible bacterial transformation events were detected within the highest dose treatments at Days 30 and 60 of incubation. These findings suggest that within the average conventional digester residence times in the United States (30 days), there is a potential for bacterial transformation events to occur with crop-derived transgenes found in eDNA.     

Advances in thermochemical conversion of woody biomass to energy,fuels and chemicals

Biomass has been recognised as a promising resource for future energy and fuels. The biomass, originated from plants, is renewable and application of its derived energy and fuels is close to carbon-neutral by considering that the growing plants absorb CO₂ for photosynthesis. However, the complex physical structure and chemical composition of the biomass significantly hinder its conversion to gaseous and liquid fuels.This paper reviews recent advances in biomass thermochemical conversion technologies for energy, liquid fuels and chemicals. Combustion process produces heat or heat and power from the biomass through oxidation reactions; however, this is a mature technology and has been successfully applied in industry. Therefore, this review will focus on the remaining three thermochemical processes, namely biomass pyrolysis, biomass thermal liquefaction and biomass gasification. For biomass pyrolysis, biomass pretreatment and application of catalysts can simplify the bio-oil composition and retain high yield. In biomass liquefaction, application of appropriate solvents and catalysts improves the liquid product quality and yield. Gaseous product from biomass gasification is relatively simple and can be further processed for useful products. Dual fluidised bed (DFB) gasification technology using steam as gasification agent provides an opportunity for achieving high hydrogen content and CO₂ capture with application of appropriate catalytic bed materials. In addition, multi-staged gasification technology, and integrated biomass pyrolysis and gasification as well as gasification for poly-generation have attracted increasing attention.     

Manipulation of oxidative stress responses as a strategy to generate stress-tolerant crops. From damage to signaling to tolerance

Plants exposed to hostile environmental conditions such as drought or extreme temperatures usually undergo oxidative stress, which has long been assumed to significantly contribute to the damage suffered by the organism. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduced under stress conditions were proposed to destroy membrane lipids and to inactivate proteins and photosystems, ultimately leading to cell death. Accordingly, considerable effort has been devoted, over the years, to improve stress tolerance by strengthening antioxidant and dissipative mechanisms. Although the notion that ROS cause indiscriminate damage in vivo has been progressively replaced by the alternate concept that they act as signaling molecules directing critical plant developmental and environmental responses including cell death, the induction of genes encoding antioxidant activities is commonplace under many environmental stresses, suggesting that their manipulation still offers promise. The features and consequences of ROS effects depend on the balance between various interacting pathways including ROS synthesis and scavenging, energy dissipation, conjugative reactions, and eventually reductive repair. They represent many possibilities for genetic manipulation. We report, herein, a comprehensive survey of transgenic plants in which components of the ROS-associated pathways were overexpressed, and of the stress phenotypes displayed by the corresponding transformants. Genetic engineering of different stages of ROS metabolism such as synthesis, scavenging, and reductive repair revealed a strong correlation between down-regulation of ROS levels and increased stress tolerance in plants grown under controlled conditions. Field assays are scarce, and are eagerly required to assess the possible application of this strategy to agriculture.     

The progress in insect cross‐resistance among Bacillus thuringiensis toxins

Bt crop pyramids produce two or more Bt proteins active to broaden the spectrum of action and to delay the development of resistance in exposed insect populations. The cross‐resistance between Bt toxins is a vital restriction factor for Bt crop pyramids, which may reduce the effect of pyramid strategy. In this review, the status of the cross‐resistance among more than 20 Bt toxins that are most commonly used against 13 insect pests was analyzed. The potential mechanisms of cross‐resistance are discussed. The corresponding measures, including pyramid RNA interference and Bt toxin, “high dose/refuge,” and so on are advised to be taken for adopting the pyramided strategy to delay the Bt evolution of resistance and control the target pest insect.     

In vitro antimicrobial effect of metallic nanoparticles on phytopathogenic strains of crop plants

In this research, the in vitro antimicrobial effect of zinc oxide (ZnO), copper oxide (CuO) and iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles (NPs)—with average sizes of 20, 46 and 30 nm, respectively—on the root rot disease caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum and on blight disease caused by the fungus Alternaria solani were studied. Also, bacterial diseases caused by Clavibacter michiganensis and Pseudomonas syringae that infects a wide range of plant species were assessed. Different concentrations of NPs (0, 100, 250, 500, 700 and 1,000 mg/L) were prepared on PDA agar or King's B medium in a complete randomized design with four replicates. According to the results, ZnO NPs exhibited an outstanding inhibitory effect against fungi and bacteria strains. The above results were associated with the smaller particle size. Fungi strains showed a differential sensitivity depending on the kind of NPs used. A. solani showed the highest sensitivity to ZnO NPs at 1,000 mg/L (99%), followed by CuO NPs at the same dose (95%). Fe₂O₃ NPs at all evaluated doses had no inhibitory effects on the mycelia growth of this strain, although F. oxysporum revealed greater effectiveness of the CuO NPs (96%) compared with ZnO NPs since it only inhibited 91% of the mycelial growth. The antibacterial activity was studied through optical density. C. michiganensis was found to be more sensitive to ZnO NPs because a lesser dose (700 mg/L) was required to reduce the bacterial growth (90%); in comparison, P. syringae required a dose of 1,000 mg/L to inhibit its growth (67%). CuO NPs displayed the smallest growth inhibition against the bacteria strains analysed. The antimicrobial effect of the metallic NPs that were assayed increased with higher doses.     

Assessing the performance of pea and lentil at different seeding densities as trap crops for the management of wireworms in spring wheat

Wireworms, the larvae of click beetles (Elateridae), are difficult to manage due to their habitats and behaviour. Wireworms pose a major threat to the wheat crop in the north‐western USA. Seed treatment with neonicotinoids, biological control management and some cultural controls are recommended to manage these pests. Trap cropping is an emerging way to manage wireworms. In strawberry and potato crops, trap cropping has been found effective at attracting wireworms away from the principal crop. An earlier study in the Golden Triangle area of Montana found that pea and lentil could be effective trap crops for managing wireworms in spring wheat. In the present study, experiments were conducted at two locations. The effectiveness of peas and lentils as trap crops with wheat at different seeding densities was assessed [pea at 0, 4, 8, 16 seeds/sq.ft. or 0, 43, 86, 172 seeds/sq.m.; lentil at 0, 6, 12, 18 OR 0, 65, 130, 194 seeds/sq.m.; both with wheat at 0, 11, 22, or 28 seeds/sq.ft. or 0, 120, 230, 300 seeds/sq.m.] in a randomized design where all three crops were intercropped. Both trap crops were found to be effective in protecting wheat at standard seeding rates of 8 seeds/sq.ft. for pea and 12 seeds/sq.ft. for lentils. At these seeding rates, higher numbers of wireworms were found to be attracted to the trap crop, resulting in higher yield (7%–10%) of the associated spring wheat plant stands at 22 seeds/sq.ft. To develop an effective trap crop strategy, the pea–wheat and lentil–wheat spatial patterns that are possible need to be assessed in further field trials. Proper design and evaluation of the cost–benefit ratio of pea and lentil as trap crops are likely to produce good results for wheat crops in Montana.