The fate of forage plant DNA in farm animals: a collaborative case-study investigating cattle and chicken fed recombinant plant material

Einspanier, Ralf; Klotz, Andreas; Kraft, Jana; Aulrich, Karen; Poser, Rita; Schwägele, Fredi; Jahreis, Gerhard; Flachowsky, Gerhard

doi:10.1007/s002170000248

Cited by 152 publications

(127 citation statements)

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“…Other studies employing farm animals fed with conventional and transgenic feed showed that only DNA fragments of about 200 bp from a chloroplast gene was detected in milk, rarely in blood cells but not in the organs of cows (Einspanier et al, 2001;Phipps et al, 2003). Plant DNA was also found in organs of broilers, but sequences belonging to the transgene were not identified.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Assessing the Transfer of Genetically Modified DNA from Feed to Animal Tissues

et al. 2005

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In Europe, public and scientific concerns about the environmental and food safety of GM (Genetically Modified) crops overshadow the potential benefits offered by crop biotechnology to improve food quality. One of the concerns regarding the use of GM food in human and animal nutrition is the effect that newly introduced sequences may have on the organism. In this paper, we assess the potential transfer of dietderived DNA to animal tissues after consumption of GM plants. Blood, spleen, liver, kidney and muscle tissues from piglets fed for 35 days with diets containing either GM (MON810) or a conventional maize were investigated for the presence of plant DNA. Only fragments of specific maize genes (Zein, Sh-2) could be detected with different frequencies in all the examined tissues except muscle. A small fragment of the Cry1A(b) transgene was detected in blood, liver, spleen and kidney of the animals raised with the transgenic feed. The intact Cry1A(b) gene or its minimal functional unit were never detected. Statistical analysis of the results showed no difference in recovery of positives for the presence of plant DNA between animals raised with the transgenic feed and animals raised with the conventional feed, indicating that DNA transfer may occur independently from the source and the type of the gene. From the data obtained, we consider it unlikely that the occurrence of genetic transfer associated with GM plants is higher than that from conventional plants.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Assessing the Transfer of Genetically Modified DNA from Feed to Animal Tissues

et al. 2005

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“…DNA segments can survive intestinal juices and multicopy forms of DNA could be detected in some tissues examined in chickens (muscle, liver, spleen or kidney), but not in eggs (Einspanier et al, 2001). Except for blood or milk, such DNA has been rarely detected in tissues or organs of cattle, sheep or pigs.…”

Section: Hgt From Gm Plants To Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the case of vertebrates, the fate of DNA from GM corn and soybean has been extensively monitored in cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry (Aeschbacher et al, 2005;Beagle et al, 2006;Chowdhury et al, 2004;Deaville and Maddison, 2005;Duggan et al, 2003;Einspanier et al, 2001;Jennings et al, 2003aJennings et al, , 2003bMazza et al, 2005;Nemeth et al, 2004;Sharma et al, 2006;Tony et al, 2003). DNA segments can survive intestinal juices and multicopy forms of DNA could be detected in some tissues examined in chickens (muscle, liver, spleen or kidney), but not in eggs (Einspanier et al, 2001).…”

Section: Hgt From Gm Plants To Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risks from GMOs due to Horizontal Gene Transfer

Keese¹

2008

Environ. Biosafety Res.

131

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Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the stable transfer of genetic material from one organism to another without reproduction or human intervention. Transfer occurs by the passage of donor genetic material across cellular boundaries, followed by heritable incorporation to the genome of the recipient organism. In addition to conjugation, transformation and transduction, other diverse mechanisms of DNA and RNA uptake occur in nature. The genome of almost every organism reveals the footprint of many ancient HGT events. Most commonly, HGT involves the transmission of genes on viruses or mobile genetic elements. HGT first became an issue of public concern in the 1970s through the natural spread of antibiotic resistance genes amongst pathogenic bacteria, and more recently with commercial production of genetically modified (GM) crops. However, the frequency of HGT from plants to other eukaryotes or prokaryotes is extremely low. The frequency of HGT to viruses is potentially greater, but is restricted by stringent selection pressures. In most cases the occurrence of HGT from GM crops to other organisms is expected to be lower than background rates. Therefore, HGT from GM plants poses negligible risks to human health or the environment.

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“…Various experiments (Schubbert et al, 1994;Hohlweg and Doerfler, 2001;Klotz and Einspanier, 1998;Einspanier et al, 2001) have demonstrated that pure DNA as well as plant-associated DNA, when consumed in a diet, can sometimes be detected in very low amounts in blood and tissues. There is no reason to expect differences in the fate of DNA derived from GM plants and non-GM plants.…”

Section: The Potential Impact Of Horizontal Gene Transfermentioning

confidence: 99%

Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms on the use of antibiotic resistance genes as marker genes in genetically modified plants

2004

EFSA Journal

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The fate of forage plant DNA in farm animals: a collaborative case-study investigating cattle and chicken fed recombinant plant material

Cited by 152 publications

References 1 publication

Assessing the Transfer of Genetically Modified DNA from Feed to Animal Tissues

Assessing the Transfer of Genetically Modified DNA from Feed to Animal Tissues

Risks from GMOs due to Horizontal Gene Transfer

Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms on the use of antibiotic resistance genes as marker genes in genetically modified plants

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