Is it possible to interbreed genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with wild-type individuals? If so, what are the implications? Will the be resulting organism be viable? If not, how is this prevented? Has there been any instance wherein this has happened accidentally?
Ill try to answer your questions one by one.
Yes, they can interbreed and crate hybrids.
Wild-type gene diversity will be altered by the introduction of foreign genes, this could be beneficial or detrimental for the hybrids and its environment, it could be hard to define.
Resulting organisms should be viable unless the modification is related to reproductive traits.
To prevent it, do not le the populations mix with each other, this can be very hard to accomplish in some cases, like crops.
This has happened, the occurrence of this phenomenon is not that rare, but it may be hard to estimate.
Here is a nice blog post that may have some insight or you.
http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=14792
There is a lot of info on this topic in the web, just be careful with the sources. Since this is a politicized topic, there is a lot of unsubstantiated and heavily distorted arguments that are only there to persuade people towards a specific agenda.
Cheers
http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=14792
Just to add to the complexity of the topic.
All of the domesticated organisms, (plants and animals) used for human consumption have been genetically modified.
Selective breeding for ~4000 years have generated mutant species that cannot survive in the wild without human intervention.
All of the food that you eat is a result of millennia of humans tinkering with selective breeding (aka genetic modifications).
Why are you not afraid of these genetically modified foods that that you have been eating all of your life?
Steingrimur Stephansson,
I now understand and see the flaw in my question. I was pertaining to artificial means of genetic modification (i.e. genetic recombination) and had not taken into consideration that selective breeding could classify organisms as genetically modified. Thank you so much!
Hi Justin, as Isain said, GMOs have become a political rather than a scientific issue.
There are heated arguments on both sides and there is a lot of emotion and hostility.
GMOs have been described as Frankenfoods, evoking Shelley's novel about a mad scientist that defied God and made a living monster from body parts, with eventual devastating consequences.
Modern genetic modification are a far cry from Victorian horror novels.
Almost all vaccines made against , (measles, pox, polio, hepatitis B, HPV, mumps, influenza, scarlet fever, typhoid, whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, yellow fever, Lassa fever, Lyme disease, etc. etc.) are a product of DNA manipulation.
These vaccines are made using recombinant DNA technology.
Rejecting these advances.......
Wow, thank you so much Steingrimur Stfansson. I never thought of that. I'll be careful with this political issue.
Indeed it is becoming a political issue and your way of approaching this question Steingrimur is a good example of it... and it is quite sad.
Hi Inaki, what is quite sad?
That this is more of a political and emotional issue than a scientific issue?
Dear Steingrimur,
It is quite sad that you are turning a scientific question into a political issue, yes.
In Planta, GMO x Wild-type can be used for:
1. Clean up the genome background. Most GMO are produced through tissue culturing. Tissue culturing induces 'Somaclonal variation (or mutation)', by backcrossing to wild-type (and keep the transgene) can remove those unwanted mutations.
2. Maintain hemizygous status. Genotypes from progeny of T0 (ex. 1 copy transgene insertion: A-) can be AA, A-, or --. Survivals on selection plates can be AA or A- plants. In some experiments, A- is needed, not AA or --. In this case, how to produce progeny plants with only A- is important. By crossing T0 (A-) x Wild-type (--), we will know all resistant plants (after selection) will be A- (hemizygous type), not AA.
3. Remove silencing. Silencing can occur for transgenes in GMO. Some researchers have reported that by crossing the GMO (with silencing transgene) with Wild-type can remove transgene silencing.
GMO plants can have two kinds. Transgene is kept (integrated) in the nuclear genome. Transgene can also be kept (integrated) in the plastid or mitochondria genome (which are in cytosol). There are different cross outcomes.
By the way, if one takes a pure line or inbred line (A, as wild-type) and add a single transgene into it (A'). A' is an isogenic line to A line. I am not sure whether we can call the progeny of [ isogenic line (A')] x [its wild-type (A)] hybrid !?
Hi Inaki, how am I turning a scientific question into a political issue??
Please explain, because I don't get it.
Science is impartial and does not take sides. If GMOs are proven to be harmful, I will be the first one to admit that I was wrong.
You do realize that the hallmark of a good scientist is that he is compelled to admit that he can be proven wrong when confronted with irrefutable evidence.
I promise that if I am wrong, I will admit it.
Can you also promise to admit if you are wrong?
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