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Hassan MM, Tenazas F, Williams A, Chiu JW, Robin C, Russell DA, Golz JF. Minimizing IP issues associated with gene constructs encoding the Bt toxin - a case study. BMC Biotechnol 2024; 24:37. [PMID: 38825715 PMCID: PMC11145813 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-024-00864-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As part of a publicly funded initiative to develop genetically engineered Brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, and canola) expressing Bacillus thuringiensis Crystal (Cry)-encoded insecticidal (Bt) toxin for Indian and Australian farmers, we designed several constructs that drive high-level expression of modified Cry1B and Cry1C genes (referred to as Cry1BM and Cry1CM; with M indicating modified). The two main motivations for modifying the DNA sequences of these genes were to minimise any licensing cost associated with the commercial cultivation of transgenic crop plants expressing CryM genes, and to remove or alter sequences that might adversely affect their activity in plants. RESULTS To assess the insecticidal efficacy of the Cry1BM/Cry1CM genes, constructs were introduced into the model Brassica Arabidopsis thaliana in which Cry1BM/Cry1CM expression was directed from either single (S4/S7) or double (S4S4/S7S7) subterranean clover stunt virus (SCSV) promoters. The resulting transgenic plants displayed a high-level of Cry1BM/Cry1CM expression. Protein accumulation for Cry1CM ranged from 5.18 to 176.88 µg Cry1CM/g dry weight of leaves. Contrary to previous work on stunt promoters, we found no correlation between the use of either single or double stunt promoters and the expression levels of Cry1BM/Cry1CM genes, with a similar range of Cry1CM transcript abundance and protein content observed from both constructs. First instar Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) larvae fed on transgenic Arabidopsis leaves expressing the Cry1BM/Cry1CM genes showed 100% mortality, with a mean leaf damage score on a scale of zero to five of 0.125 for transgenic leaves and 4.2 for wild-type leaves. CONCLUSIONS Our work indicates that the modified Cry1 genes are suitable for the development of insect resistant GM crops. Except for the PAT gene in the USA, our assessment of the intellectual property landscape of components presents within the constructs described here suggest that they can be used without the need for further licensing. This has the capacity to significantly reduce the cost of developing and using these Cry1M genes in GM crop plants in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Mahmudul Hassan
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali, 8602, Bangladesh
| | - Francis Tenazas
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Adam Williams
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Jing-Wen Chiu
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Charles Robin
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Derek A Russell
- Melbourne Veterinary School, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - John F Golz
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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Jiang SY, Vanitha J, Bai Y, Ramachandran S. Identification and molecular characterization of tissue-preferred rice genes and their upstream regularly sequences on a genome-wide level. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2014; 14:331. [PMID: 25428432 PMCID: PMC4248441 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-014-0331-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gene upstream regularly sequences (URSs) can be used as one of the tools to annotate the biological functions of corresponding genes. In addition, tissue-preferred URSs are frequently used to drive the transgene expression exclusively in targeted tissues during plant transgenesis. Although many rice URSs have been molecularly characterized, it is still necessary and valuable to identify URSs that will benefit plant transformation and aid in analyzing gene function. RESULTS In this study, we identified and characterized root-, seed-, leaf-, and panicle-preferred genes on a genome-wide level in rice. Subsequently, their expression patterns were confirmed through quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) by randomly selecting 9candidate tissue-preferred genes. In addition, 5 tissue-preferred URSs were characterized by investigating the URS::GUS transgenic plants. Of these URS::GUS analyses, the transgenic plants harboring LOC_Os03g11350 URS::GUS construct showed the GUS activity only in young pollen. In contrast, when LOC_Os10g22450 URS was used to drive the reporter GUS gene, the GUS activity was detected only in mature pollen. Interestingly, the LOC_Os10g34360 URS was found to be vascular bundle preferred and its activities were restricted only to vascular bundles of leaves, roots and florets. In addition, we have also identified two URSs from genes LOC_Os02G15090 and LOC_Os06g31070 expressed in a seed-preferred manner showing the highest expression levels of GUS activities in mature seeds. CONCLUSION By genome-wide analysis, we have identified tissue-preferred URSs, five of which were further characterized using transgenic plants harboring URS::GUS constructs. These data might provide some evidence for possible functions of the genes and be a valuable resource for tissue-preferred candidate URSs for plant transgenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Ye Jiang
- Rice Functional Genomics Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604 Singapore
| | - Jeevanandam Vanitha
- Rice Functional Genomics Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604 Singapore
| | - Yanan Bai
- Rice Functional Genomics Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604 Singapore
| | - Srinivasan Ramachandran
- Rice Functional Genomics Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604 Singapore
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Paul M, Ma JKC. Plant-made immunogens and effective delivery strategies. Expert Rev Vaccines 2014; 9:821-33. [DOI: 10.1586/erv.10.88] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Drake PMW, Thangaraj H. Molecular farming, patents and access to medicines. Expert Rev Vaccines 2014; 9:811-9. [DOI: 10.1586/erv.10.72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Parisi C, Rodríguez-Cerezo E, Thangaraj H. Analysing patent landscapes in plant biotechnology and new plant breeding techniques. Transgenic Res 2012; 22:15-29. [DOI: 10.1007/s11248-012-9641-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 07/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Chi-Ham CL, Boettiger S, Figueroa-Balderas R, Bird S, Geoola JN, Zamora P, Alandete-Saez M, Bennett AB. An intellectual property sharing initiative in agricultural biotechnology: development of broadly accessible technologies for plant transformation. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2012; 10:501-10. [PMID: 22221977 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2011.00674.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture (PIPRA) was founded in 2004 by the Rockefeller Foundation in response to concerns that public investments in agricultural biotechnology benefiting developing countries were facing delays, high transaction costs and lack of access to important technologies due to intellectual property right (IPR) issues. From its inception, PIPRA has worked broadly to support a wide range of research in the public sector, in specialty and minor acreage crops as well as crops important to food security in developing countries. In this paper, we review PIPRA's work, discussing the failures, successes, and lessons learned during its years of operation. To address public sector's limited freedom-to-operate, or legal access to third-party rights, in the area of plant transformation, we describe PIPRA's patent 'pool' approach to develop open-access technologies for plant transformation which consolidate patent and tangible property rights in marker-free vector systems. The plant transformation system has been licensed and deployed for both commercial and humanitarian applications in the United States (US) and Africa, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia L Chi-Ham
- Department of Plant Sciences, Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Michaud D. In consideration of GMOs: a virtual special issue of the Plant Biotechnology Journal. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2011; 9:933-935. [PMID: 22066549 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2011.00659.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
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Rommens CM. Barriers and paths to market for genetically engineered crops. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2010; 8:101-111. [PMID: 19968823 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2009.00464.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Each year, billions of dollars are invested in efforts to improve crops through genetic engineering (GE). These activities have resulted in a surge of publications and patents on technologies and genes: a momentum in basic research that, unfortunately, is not sustained throughout the subsequent phases of product development. After more than two decades of intensive research, the market for transgenic crops is still dominated by applications of just a handful of methods and genes. This discrepancy between research and development reflects difficulties in understanding and overcoming seven main barriers-to-entry: (1) trait efficacy in the field, (2) critical product concepts, (3) freedom-to-operate, (4) industry support, (5) identity preservation and stewardship, (6) regulatory approval and (7) retail and consumer acceptance. In this review, I describe the various roadblocks to market for transgenic crops and also discuss methods and approaches on how to overcome these, especially in the United States.
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Wu R, Guo WL, Wang XR, Wang XL, Zhuang TT, Clarke JL, Liu B. Unintended consequence of plant transformation: biolistic transformation caused transpositional activation of an endogenous retrotransposon Tos17 in rice ssp. japonica cv. Matsumae. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2009; 28:1043-1051. [PMID: 19415284 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-009-0704-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2009] [Revised: 04/03/2009] [Accepted: 04/15/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Genetic instability could be provoked as an unintended consequence of genetic engineering in plants. Here, we report that the rice endogenous long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon Tos17 was transpositionally activated only in transgenic calli and their regenerated plants produced by biolistic transformation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) ssp. japonica cv. Matsumae. Moreover, the transpositional activity of Tos17 was sustained after plant regeneration in the T0 generation, and produced new germinal insertions. In contrast, the element remained totally quiescent in calli and regenerated plants from tissue culture of this genotype. Nonetheless, transcriptional induction and cytosine demethylation of Tos17 were found to have occurred with no significant difference in both kinds of calli, tissue culture alone and transgenic. This suggests that callus culture is likely to have played an important role in destabilizing Tos17 in the direction towards transpositional activation, but that biolistic transformation is the direct causal factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE, Institute of Genetics and Cytology, Northeast Normal University, 130024, Changchun, China
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Abstract
Following the success of transgenic maize and rice, methods have now been developed for the efficient introduction of genes into wheat, barley and oats. This review summarizes the present position in relation to these three species, and also uses information from field trial databases and the patent literature to assess the future trends in the exploitation of transgenic material. This analysis includes agronomic traits and also discusses opportunities in expanding areas such as biofuels and biopharming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim M Dunwell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, UK
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Warzecha H. Biopharmaceuticals from Plants: A Multitude of Options for Posttranslational Modifications. Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev 2008; 25:315-30. [DOI: 10.5661/bger-25-315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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