Environment Affects Maize Plant More Than Gene Technology

A research article in the online edition of the Plant Biotechnology Journal on Comparison of two GM maize varieties with a near-isogenic, non-GM variety using transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics reports that the environment plays an important effect in the protein, gene expression and metabolite levels of maize samples consisting of traditional and two transgenic maize lines. In the study, 5 proteins, 65 genes and 15 metabolites were found to be differentially expressed in three growing seasons and several locations. The study suggests that genetic modification has no more drastic side effects than traditional breeding, although some few differences were observed between the GM and the traditional crop that would need further evaluation on product safety. The results however will help researchers to make a rational assessment of the safety risks – certain toxicological studies may not be necessary in the long term, said J.P. Van Dijk, one of the co-authors.

The news article can be viewed at: http://resource.wur.nl/en/wetenschap/detail/environment_affects_maize_plant_more_than_gene_technology/ The abstract of the paper is downloadable at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123271727/abstract