Abstract
Genetic engineering (GM) has great potential to improve maize productivity, but rises some concerns on unintended effects, and equivalent as their comparators. There are some limitations through targeted analysis to detect the UE in genetically modified organisms in many previous studies. We here reported a case-study on the effects of introducing herbicides and insect resistance (HIR) gene cassette on molecular profiling (transcripts and metabolites) in a popular maize variety Zhengdan958 (ZD958) in China. We found that introducing HIR gene cassette bring a limited numbers of differential abundant genes (DAGs) or differential abundant metabolites (DAMs) between transgenic events and non-transgenic control. In contrast, averaged 10 times more DAGs and DAMs were observed when performed comparison under different growing environments in three different ecological regions of China than the numbers induced by gene effects. Major biological pathways relating to stress response or signaling transduction could explain somehow the effects of growing environments. We further compared two transgenic events mediated ZD958 (GM-ZD958) with either transgenic parent GM-Z58, and other genetic background nonGM-Z58, nonGM-ZD958, and Chang7-2. We found that the numbers of DAGs and DAMs between GM-ZD958 and its one parent maize variety, Z58 or GM-Z58 is equivalent, but not Chang7-2. These findings suggest that greater effects due to different genetic background on altered molecular profiling than gene modification itself. This study provides a case evidence indicating marginal effects of gene pleiotropic effects, and environmental effects should be emphasized.
Highlights
Genetic engineering (GM) has great potential to improve maize productivity, but rises some concerns on unintended effects, and equivalent as their comparators
We presented the first multi-omic analysis of genetically modified crops (GM)-ZD958 maize compared to a non-GM ZD958 maize line
Our analysis at a detailed, in-depth molecular profiling levels shows that marginal effects on the alteration of differential abundant genes and metabolites in GM-ZD958, compared to its non-GM ZD958 maize line
Summary
Genetic engineering (GM) has great potential to improve maize productivity, but rises some concerns on unintended effects, and equivalent as their comparators. We found that the numbers of DAGs and DAMs between GM-ZD958 and its one parent maize variety, Z58 or GM-Z58 is equivalent, but not Chang[] These findings suggest that greater effects due to different genetic background on altered molecular profiling than gene modification itself. The biological effects of GM crops on human health, environment, agronomy, and economy were extensively reported, and some researchers found that no obviously adverse-effects attributed to genetic engineering on the human p opulation[5] Another concern about the unintended effects on the alteration of DNA sequences, proteins or new metabolites or reprogramed metabolites due to random insertion on genomic r egions[6,7], created by Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer and particle b ombardment[8,9,10]. This prompted us to further assess the non-targeted profiling or fingerprinting technologies that could be used as unbiased analytical approaches to characterize the potential occurrence of the unintended effects caused by introducing exogenous gene or overexpressing endogenous g ene[13]
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