Investigation on Effects of Cyanophycin-producing Potato on Soil

Kerstin Lahl from the University of Trier in Germany, and colleagues, investigated the potential effects of GM potato tubers producing cyanophycin, a biodegradable nitrogen storage polymer, on the biomass, enzyme activity, and structural diversity of soil microorganisms. The team collected samples of caulosphere and bulk soil in field experiments conducted in three consecutive winter seasons. They analyzed the microbial biomass and enzyme activities involved in the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles. They also studied the microbial community structure using PLFA analyses, and monitored the peroxidase activity and phenol content in the tuber tissues during the hibernation period after the division of subcellular compartments.

The team found that the caulosphere had higher microbial activity and had different community structure compared to bulk soil. Genetic modification and cyanophycin production had no effect on the decomposition of microbial biomass, as well as in the enzyme activities and PLFA markers in the caulosphere. Therefore, the GM potato tubers exhibit no unique internal enzyme activities of effects on soil microorganisms compared with the non-GM cultivars.

For more details about the study, read the research article at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1164556312000696.