Biosafety of kanamycin-resistant transgenic plants |
| |
Authors: | Jan-Peter Nap Jacques Bijvoet Willem J Stiekema |
| |
Institution: | (1) Department of Molecular Biology, Centre for Plant Breeding and Reproduction Research CPRO-DLO, PO Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands |
| |
Abstract: | Kanamycin resistance is one of the most frequently used selection markers for obtaining transgenic plants. The introduction
of these transgenic plants into agricultural practice will cause the kanamycin resistance gene and the gene product to be
present on a large scale. The desirability of this situation is analysed. The nature, properties and applications of the antibiotic
kanamycin are briefly reviewed, as are the mechanisms of kanamycin resistance. It is argued that the gene used for resistance
is an excellent choice because of the high substrate specificity of the enzyme encoded. Human or veterinary antibiotic therapies
will not be compromised. Also, the physico-chemical characteristics of the antibiotic exclude the existence of selective conditions
in the environment. Therefore, a transgenic plant or any other organism that might have acquired the gene will not get any
selective advantage because of this gene. Evidence further suggests there is no toxicity or predictable harm of both gene
or gene product for human or animal consumption. Full legislative clearance of this transgenic trait is therefore acceptable. |
| |
Keywords: | antibiotics kanamycin resistance neomycin risk assessment nutrition veterinary efficacy |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |