Abstract
While some genetically modified (GM) plants have been targeted to confer tolerance to abiotic stressors, transgenes are impacted by abiotic stressors, causing adverse effects on plant physiology and yield. However, routine safety analyses do not assess the response of GM plants under different environmental stress conditions. In the context of climate change, the combination of abiotic stressors is a reality in agroecosystems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the metabolic cost by assessing the proteomic profiles of GM soybean varieties under glyphosate spraying and water deficit conditions compared to their non-transgenic conventional counterparts. We found evidence of cumulative adverse effects that resulted in the reduction of enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, along with the expression of amino acids and nitrogen metabolic enzymes. Ribosomal metabolism was significantly enriched, particularly the protein families associated with ribosomal complexes L5 and L18. The interaction network map showed that the affected module representing the ribosome pathway interacts strongly with other important proteins, such as the chloro-plastic gamma ATP synthase subunit. Combined, these findings provide clear evidence for increasing the metabolic costs of GM soybean plants in response to the accumulation of stress factors. First, alterations in the ribosome pathway indicate that the GM plant itself carries a metabolic burden associated with the biosynthesis of proteins as effects of genetic transformation. GM plants also showed an imbalance in energy demand and production under controlled conditions, which was increased under drought conditions. Identifying the consequences of altered metabolism related to the interaction between plant transgene stress responses allows us to understand the possible effects on the ecology and evolution of plants in the medium and long term and the potential interactions with other organisms when these organisms are released in the environment.
Highlights
The global cultivated area of genetically modified (GM) crops has reached more than 190 million ha in a total of 29 countries [1]
We performed an exploratory analysis of expressed proteins based on a supervised approach of partial least square-discriminant analysis modelling (PLSDA)
Pleiotropic effects of herbicide-resistance genes have been shown to be harmful to fitness and yield and have been linked to resistance mechanisms that originate from genetic resources, mutagenesis and genetic engineering in crops [41]
Summary
The global cultivated area of genetically modified (GM) crops has reached more than 190 million ha in a total of 29 countries [1]. The vast majority of such GM crops are engineered for herbicide tolerance or to produce their own insecticide. Herbicidetolerant GM crops, which are able to accumulate herbicide residues without dying to facilitate weed management, occupy approximately 45% of the total genetically engineered crop cultivation area [1]. Glyphosate tolerance traits represent the world’s most widespread transgenes [1,2] This is due to the widespread use of glyphosate in global agriculture after the first commercial release of engineered glyphosate-resistant crops in. Herbicide application is considered one of the major abiotic stressors for plant metabolism [4]. Even more disturbing is the synergistic effect of the accumulation of various abiotic stressors, all of which negatively affect biomass production and yield [11,12,13]. There are concerns over GM crops, which under stress conditions and in combination with various genetic backgrounds can result in unexpected effects that pose risks for the environment and ecosystems [14]
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