Plant transgenics

En esta investigación abordo desde la perspectiva sociológica el problema sustantivo de las relaciones entre la ciencia, la tecnología y la sociedad. Inicialmente, presento el interrogante teórico principal y relato el estado de la cuestión y de la discusión en el estudio de las relaciones existentes entre la ciencia, la tecnología y la sociedad. Después, muestro los objetivos, la hipótesis de trabajo, la metodología y las características generales de un objeto de estudio empíricamente relevante como lo es la controversia desatada en torno a la supuesta viabilidad de los organismos modificados genéticamente. Seguidamente, expongo cómo los distintos productos y prácticas derivados del paradigma dominante de la nueva ingeniería genética influyen en el devenir de las actuales sociedades occidentales. Inversamente y con posterioridad, analizo cómo los diversos factores sociales, políticos y económicos posibilitan y condicionan la creación y el desarrollo supuestamente lógico e interno de estos productos y procedimientos. Por último, me interrogo acerca de cómo es posible que, cuando menos de momento, no se haya asistido a un cierre dialogado y consensuado de esta misma polémica fundamental. En concreto, examino los tres modelos interpretativos que se demuestran más relevantes y clarificadores. Así, la posible clausura futura de esta polémica podría ser básicamente racional y empírica, principalmente interesada y sujeta a nítidas e intensas relaciones de fuerza, o esencialmente cultural y valorativa. Con lo cual, una de las cuestiones sociológicas más importantes no consiste en dilucidar qué posición científica y técnica posee más o menos razón o verdad sino en esclarecer cómo desde la mirada sociológica más crítica y reflexiva puede comprenderse y explicarse plausiblemente la existencia y la persistencia de unas posiciones científicas y técnicas tan divergentes e incluso contradictorias sobre el diagnóstico, la evaluación y la regulación de las posibles consecuencias humanas y ambientales adversas derivadas de la libre proliferación mundial de los organismos modificados genéticamente.

Transgenic science and technology are fundamental to stateof-
the-art plant molecular genetics and crop improvement. The
new generation of technology endeavors to introduce genes
‘stably’ into ‘site-specific’ locations and in ‘single copy’ without
the integration of extraneous vector ‘backbone’ sequences
or selectable markers and with a ‘predictable and consistent’
expression. Several similar strategies and technologies, which
can push the development of ‘smart’ genetically modified
plants with desirable attributes, as well as enhance their
consumer acceptability, are discussed in this review.

This paper draws from research on small-scale maize production in Mexico’s Central Highland region to discuss the geopolitical implications of everyday agricultural practices. An overwhelming majority of maize farmers in this region, as well as in the country more broadly, continue to cultivate locally-adapted maize varieties they have bred themselves – criollo maize is the vernacular term – despite decades of concerted government attempts to effect the widespread adoption of commercially-bred and licensed hybrid varieties. This state effort to restructure agricultural systems and food security according to nationalist and capitalist priorities is one tactic in a long and violent struggle for control over peasant land and labor in Mexico. By integrating feminist scholarship in geopolitics and in political ecology, I am following the lead of geographers who regard the materialities of everyday life as a foundation for political tensions and conflicts that are constantly unfolding along intersecting lines of difference. Though geopolitics has rarely turned its attention directly to theories of intimate socio-ecological relations, I argue that the field has much analytical and political leverage to gain by engaging with political ecology, and that feminist geographic imaginaries provide a crucial space in which to do so.  This approach allows for an analysis of how a dominant geopolitics of land and agriculture is being undermined through the routine production of criollo maize, revealing new potential for creating broad political alliances with social movements that are currently working toward alternative visions of agriculture and food security.

In silico sequence diversities of four orthologous plant gsh1 genes and their amino acid translates of GSH1 proteins (Glutathione Synthase) were compared to the non-orthologous prokaryotic gshI/GSHI gene/protein of E. coli (NCBI # X03954). Primer pair was designed and transgene detection was carried out in two types of gshI-transgenic poplar clones (Populus x canescens) of ggs11 (cyt-ECS) and lgl6 (chl-ECS). Usefulness of genetic modification technologies (GMO) is indicated.

Abstract Insecticidal proteins produced by strains of Bacillus thuringenesis are specific toward target pests. One of the Bt proteins, Cry 1Ac has been used successfully for controlling crop predation by polyphagous pests Helicoverpa armigera. Structurally, Bt proteins consist of three domains; domain I and III are fairly homologous in various Bt proteins while domain II is hypervariable. The hypervariable domain II is believed to be responsible for specificity toward target pest.

Brinjal is popular vegetable crop grown in the tropics and subtropics. Fruit and shoot borer (FSB) Leucinode orbonalis is most serious and destructive pest causing heavy yield losses. Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation was performed in two brinjal cultivars viz RHRB-35 and Manjarigota with Cry1Aabc gene. Several factors influencing transformation efficiency such as type of explants, Agrobacterium cell density, infection time, pre-culture duration, co-cultivation duration, overgrowth control antibiotics have been evaluated. Combination of cefotaxime and carbenicillin at 250 mg/l concentration effectively control Agrobacterium overgrowth. Two week old Cotyledon and three week old hypocotyls explants precultured for 2 days and then infected with Agrobacterium suspension (OD600= 0.2 to 0.4) for 1 min showed maximum transformation efficiency. Among the two brinjal cultivars, RHRB-35 exhibited maximum transformation efficiency (8.44 %). The transgene integration into putatively...

Transgenic science and technology are fundamental to state-of-the-art plant molecular genetics and crop improvement. The new generation of technology endeavors to introduce genes 'stably' into 'site-specific' locations and in 'single copy' without the integration of extraneous vector 'backbone' sequences or selectable markers and with a 'predictable and consistent' expression. Several similar strategies and technologies, which can push the development of 'smart' genetically modified plants with desirable attributes, as well as enhance their consumer acceptability, are discussed in this review.

In silico sequence diversities of four orthologous plant gsh1 genes and their amino acid translates of GSH1 proteins (Glutathione Synthase) were compared to the non-orthologous prokaryotic gshI/GSHI gene/protein of E. coli (NCBI # X03954). Primer pair was designed and transgene detection was carried out in two types of gshI-transgenic poplar clones (Populus x canescens) of ggs11 (cyt-ECS) and lgl6 (chl-ECS). Usefulness of genetic modification technologies (GMO) is indicated.

Insecticidal proteins produced by strains of Bacillus thuringenesis are specific toward target pests. One of the Bt proteins, Cry 1Ac has been used successfully for controlling crop predation by polyphagous pests Helicoverpa armigera. Structurally, Bt proteins consist of three domains; domain I and III are fairly homologous in various Bt proteins while domain II is hypervariable. The hypervariable domain II is believed to be responsible for specificity toward target pest. Successful deployment of Bt proteins requires knowledge of its specificity toward the insect. Various Bt proteins have been characterized for activity against coleopteran pests. Some Bt proteins of class Cry6 have been found to be active against potato weevil. We have evaluated the activity of Cry6B protein (BGSC-4D8) against lucerne weevil, Hypera postica, which is a major pest of forage crop Medicago sativa. Results revealed that the purified Cry6B protein is significantly active against the coleopteran pest with LC₅₀ value 280 ng/μl. The leaves coated with the purified Cry6 toxin were three times less damaged as compared with the negative control.

Weed infestation is one of the major biotic
stress factors that is responsible for yield loss in directseeded
rice (DSR). Herbicide-resistant rice has potential to
improve the efficiency of weed management under DSR.
Hence, the popular indica rice cultivar IR64, was genetically
modified using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation
with a codon-optimized CP4-EPSPS (5enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate
synthase) gene, with
N-terminal chloroplast targeting peptide from Petunia
hybrida. Integration of the transgenes in the selected rice
plants was confirmed by Southern hybridization and
expression by Northern and herbicide tolerance assays.
Transgenic plants showed EPSPS enzyme activity even athigh concentrations of glyphosate, compared to untransformed
control plants. T
0
, T
1
and T
lines were tested by
herbicide bioassay and it was confirmed that the transgenic
rice could tolerate up to 1 % of commercial Roundup,
which is five times more in dose used to kill weeds under
field condition. All together, the transgenic rice plants
developed in the present study could be used efficiently to
overcome weed menace.