Genetic modification in Malaysia and India: current regulatory framework and the special case of non-transformative RNAi in agriculture

Singh, Jasdeep; Jalaluddin, Nurzatil Sharleeza Mat; Sanan-Mishra, Neeti; Harikrishna, Jennifer Ann

doi:10.1007/s00299-019-02446-6

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Skin and respiratory irritation or damage and potential environmental contamination are some risk assessment and management aspects that need to be considered if these nanotechnologies are to be commercialized. However, the particular concerns relating to RNAi silencing activities are potential off-target silencing effects on target and non-target organisms that could be elicited with sufficient sequence similarity between dsRNA and off-target transcripts [ 75 , 76 ]. Addressing the concern of possible off-target effects is especially important to ensure public buy-in as the technology reaches the market.…”

Section: Potential Risks Safety Concerns and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the USA, the risks of RNAi-based biopesticides are evaluated using chemical pesticide templates while Canada, which adopts a product-based biosafety regulation, oversees topically applied RNAi (e.g., via spraying) based on trait novelty. Australia also has taken a favorable standpoint towards regulating non-transgenic RNAi and approved the proposal to exempt topically applied dsRNAs from GMO regulations (refer to schedule 1A techniques that are not gene technology), while New Zealand ruled that dsRNA-treated eukaryotic organisms do not meet the definition of a GMO (APP203395) [ 75 , 87 ]. Such decisions have facilitated approvals for field trials of dsRNA sprays, namely “BioDirect” technology that controls bee-parasitic Varroa mites (submitted by Bayer/Monsanto) [ 88 ], and a biocontrol formulation against Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (submitted by Syngenta) [ 89 ].…”

Section: Potential Risks Safety Concerns and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Recent Progress on Nanocarriers for Topical-Mediated RNAi Strategies for Crop Protection—A Review

et al. 2023

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To fulfil the growing needs of the global population, sustainability in food production must be ensured. Insect pests and pathogens are primarily responsible for one-third of food losses and harmful synthetic pesticides have been applied to protect crops from these pests and other pathogens such as viruses and fungi. An alternative pathogen control mechanism that is more “friendly” to the environment can be developed by externally applying double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) to suppress gene expression. However, the use of dsRNA sprays in open fields is complicated with respect to variable efficiencies in the dsRNA delivery, and the stability of the dsRNA on and in the plants, and because the mechanisms of gene silencing may differ between plants and between different pathogen targets. Thus, nanocarrier delivery systems have been especially used with the goal of improving the efficacy of dsRNAs. Here, we highlight recent developments in nanoparticle-mediated nanocarriers to deliver dsRNA, including layered double hydroxide, carbon dots, carbon nanotubes, gold nanoparticles, chitosan nanoparticles, silica nanoparticles, liposomes, and cell-penetrating peptides, by review of the literature and patent landscape. The effects of nanoparticle size and surface modification on the dsRNA uptake efficiency in plants are also discussed. Finally, we emphasize the overall limitation of dsRNA sprays, the risks associated, and the potential safety concerns for spraying dsRNAs on crops.

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Section: Potential Risks Safety Concerns and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Potential Risks Safety Concerns and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Progress on Nanocarriers for Topical-Mediated RNAi Strategies for Crop Protection—A Review

et al. 2023

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“…Over the past decades, RNAi techniques have emerged as an eco-friendly, efficient, and reliable platform for the development of GM insecticidal plants (Mao et al 2007 ; Bachman et al 2013 ; Ni et al 2017 ; Poreddy et al 2017 ; Fu et al 2019 ; Darsan Singh et al 2019 ). These plants harbor double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) that can target and suppress mRNA levels through the RNAi pathway and lead to insect morbidity or mortality (Zhang et al 2017 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negligible transcriptome and metabolome alterations in RNAi insecticidal maize against Monolepta hieroglyphica

Zhang¹,

Zhang²,

Liang

et al. 2020

Plant Cell Rep

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Key message RNAi-based genetically modified maize resistant to Monolepta hieroglyphica (Motschulsky) was demonstrated with negligible transcriptome and metabolome alterations compared to its unmodified equivalent. Abstract As one of the most prevalent insect pests afflicting various crops, Monolepta hieroglyphica (Motschulsky) causes severe loss of agricultural and economic productivity for many years in China. In an effort to reduce damages, in this study, an RNA interference (RNAi)-based genetically modified (GM) maize was developed. It was engineered to produce MhSnf7 double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), which can suppress the Snf7 gene expression and then lead M. hieroglyphica to death. Field trail analysis confirmed the robustly insecticidal ability of the MhSnf7 GM maize to resist damages by M. hieroglyphica. RNA sequencing analysis identified that only one gene was differentially expressed in the MhSnf7 GM maize compared to non-GM maize, indicating that the transcriptome in MhSnf7 GM maize is principally unaffected by the introduction of the MhSnf7 dsRNA expression vector. Likewise, metabolomics analysis identified that only 8 out of 5787 metabolites were significantly changed. Hence, the integration of transcriptomics and metabolomics demonstrates that there are negligible differences between MhSnf7 GM maize and its unmodified equivalent. This study not only presents a comprehensive assessment of cellular alteration in terms of gene transcription and metabolite abundance in RNAi-based GM maize, but also could be used as a reference for evaluating the unintended effect of GM crops.

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“…Data requirements for regulatory decision-making for biocontrol products based on externally applied dsRNA are not clear (Darsan Singh et al, 2019). Nevertheless, externally applied dsRNA products will almost certainly require assessment of the acceptability of the risks that their use poses to human and animal health and the environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Problem Formulation for Off-Target Effects of Externally Applied Double-Stranded RNA-Based Products for Pest Control

Raybould

Burns

2020

Front. Plant Sci.

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Externally applied dsRNA-based biocontrol products may lead to off-target degradation of messenger RNA in target and non-target organisms. For the purposes of regulatory risk assessment of such products, producing a comprehensive catalog of any offtarget effects using profiling methods is unnecessary and would be ineffective in supporting decision-making. Instead, problem formulation should derive criteria that indicate acceptable risk and devise a plan to test the hypothesis that the product meets those criteria. The key to effective risk assessment of dsRNA-based biocontrols is determining whether their properties indicate acceptable or unacceptable risk, not whether they arise from on-or off-target effects of dsRNA.

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Genetic modification in Malaysia and India: current regulatory framework and the special case of non-transformative RNAi in agriculture

Cited by 5 publications

References 52 publications

Recent Progress on Nanocarriers for Topical-Mediated RNAi Strategies for Crop Protection—A Review

Recent Progress on Nanocarriers for Topical-Mediated RNAi Strategies for Crop Protection—A Review

Negligible transcriptome and metabolome alterations in RNAi insecticidal maize against Monolepta hieroglyphica

Problem Formulation for Off-Target Effects of Externally Applied Double-Stranded RNA-Based Products for Pest Control

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