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[SANET-MG] lurking terminators



March 23, 2005
Prof. Joe Cummins
“Lurking terminators”
       The Institute of Science and Society  has identified a number of
genetic technologies that have been developed to prevent genetically
modified (GM) crops from replicating once purchased for production
during  one season (or for one lifetime in trees).The technologies have
been deemed terminator technologies. In general, the technologies
adversely effect biodiversity and health (1,2.3). Even though some
corporations have stepped back from the development of terminator
technology the discovery of  MADS-box regulatory control of
morphogenesis  has spurred development of  a flood of new technologies
geared to controlling flowering or gamete production in plants (4). Like
the earlier terminator technologies the developing technologies
frequently employ genes for hazardous toxins to destroy cells forming
flowers or gametes or anti-sense genes to turn off flower or gamete cell
development. Several of the new technologies have been described in
patent applications, these technologies are described below. Knowledge
of the technologies is valuable at this time because the time from
application to full patents and commercialization can be surprisingly short.
       A  patent application claimed to reduce transmission of transgenes was
submitted in 2004. The application involved use of pollen  or ovule
specific promoter  linked to a suicide gene to prevent production of
pollen or ovule. The toxin genes serving as suicide genes included
barnase, diphtheria toxin and tasselseed2 gene of maize (5). Of these
toxins the effects of barnase and diphtheria are well known and known to
effect animal cells, while the maize tasselseed2  gene encodes a short
chain alcohol dehydrogenase  enzyme associated with organ abortion in
plants (6).
       Terminators for trees are a particularly active area of development. A
 2004 patent application provided an application  aspen MADS-box genes
to alter reproductive development in plants. The proteins produced by
such genes include PtM3 and PtM4. Over expression of the genes for those
proteins was used to accelerate flowering , fruit production , to
increase nut production or flower production. Suppressing the one or
both of the two genes resulted in complete sterility, partial sterility
(sterility of one sex of a bisexual plant) or reduced pollen production.
The invention provided kits , antibodies and methods for constructing
plants modified with the  MADS-box genes. Sterility was achieved using
antisense or toxin genes to eliminate reproductive cells and tissues
(7). In 2005  a patent was granted for producing Pinus radiata trees
which are steriale. A tissue specific promoter PrAG1 was  associated
with barnase  to initiate ablation of the reproductive tissue in Pine
and other conifers (8).In 2003 Steven Strauss and colleagues applied for
a patent involving floral  homeotic genes in poplar. The ablation of
floral reproductive tissue was  achieved using antisense or ,preferably,
cell toxins.Cytotoxic genes included  barnase, ADP-ribosyl transferase,
the Agrobacterium rolC gene or glucanase (9)  The barnase ribonuclease
is well known to be toxic to both plants and animals, ADP-ribosyl
transferase is involved in cellular homeostasis and cell death in
plants(10) the enzyme is homologous in plants and animals (11).  The
Agrobacterium rol C  gene effects secondary metabolism  of plant
alkaloids leading to dwarf tree production (12). Glucanase (cellulase)
acts to soften cell walls  associated with virus or other pathogen
spread (13).  The use of cell ablation toxins requires careful attention
during  field testing and production of the modified trees.
       A patent application from 2004  includes ablation of anther cells to
produce male sterile  lines. Such lines can be used to prevent pollen
flow from a conventional transgenic crops or to produce male sterile
lines that can be used to develop hybrid crop from grains and vegetables
that  have not been possible to hybridize. Most crops benefit form
heterosis (hybrid vigor). Anther specific promoters were identified and
associated with genes for ablation toxins. The ablation toxins proposed
for use included the  usual culprits including barnase, proteases
diphtheria toxin or exotoxin A from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.. Antisense
is also proposed as a method of ablation. A method for restoring
fertility  is provided along with a method  rendering  the anthers
sensitive to herbicide in a herbicide tolerant crop. Herbicide treatment
 would cause the plant to be male sterile , while that plant would be
male fertile in the absence of herbicide treatment (14).
In Canada  the Seed Sector Review advisory committee issued a report
calling for changes to legislation to (A) collect royalties on
farm-saved seeds, (B) compel farmers to buy officially certified seed,
and (C) terminate the right of farmers to sell common seed. The report
was financed by the Agriculture Ministry  at a cost of nearly a million
dollars to the Canadian taxpayers but essentially rubber stamped the
demands of multinational agricultural corporations(15). What has
happened is that the onerous licensing  requirements of the
biotechnology industry are to be extended  to all seeds imposing as form
of serfdom on any remaining independent farmers.  In future it is likely
that even home gardeners will face the  loony corporate payments for
those willing to spy on neighbors and  report covert  seed activity.
       We have described an armamentarium . of evolving ways to produce
terminator trees and crops. The current array of genetic tools has been
added to a large array of genetic tools for sterilizing or castrating
crops and trees to protect corporate control and profits.  When the
first proposals to develop terminator plants were put forward  response
from independent farmers and the public was strong and vocal. There was
a resounding negative  response . For the time being corporations
publicly moved back from the project. While behind the scenes academic,
corporate and government laboratories connived to produce terminators
galore. It seems clear that copious government funding is being
squandered to promote the interests of rich corporations against the
expressed will of the majority of people. The people must find  a way to
insure that that their governments act in their interests not the
interests of corporations. As we proposed four years ago Terminators
must be Terminated!
References
1.Ho,M. and Cummins,J.  Terminate the terminators ISIS Report 2001
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/
2.Cummins,J. and Ho,M. New terminator crops coming  ISIS 2003
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/
3.Cummins,J. and Ho,M. Terminator trees ISIS press release 2005
 http://www.i-sis.org.uk/
4.Cummins,J. View from MADS house  ISIS press release 2005
 http://www.i-sis.org.uk/
5.Dellaporta,S. and Moreno,M.  Methods and composition to reduce or
eliminate transmission of a transgene 2004 United States patent
Application 20040154054
6. DeLong ,A, Calderon-Urrea ,A. and  Dellaporta,S. Sex determination
gene TASSELSEED2 of maize encodes a short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase
required for stage-specific floral organ abortion Cell,1993, 74,:757-68
7.Podila,G,Cseke,L,Sen,B. and Karnosky,D. Application of apen MADS-box
genes to alter reproduction and development in trees 2004 United States
patent application  20040019933
8.Podilla,G,Lui,J. and Karnosky,D. Plants having modified reproductive
capacity 2005  United States patent 6,858,776
9.Strauss,S,Rottman,W, Brunner,A. and Sheppard,L. Floral homeotic genes
for manipulation of flowering in poplar and other plants 2003, United
States patent application 20030033628
10. De Block, M, Verduyn ,C, De Brouwer ,D. and Cornelissen, M.
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in plants affects energy homeostasis, cell
death and stress tolerance. Plant J. 2005 ;41,:95-106
11. Berghammer, H, Ebner ,M, Marksteiner, R. and Auer, B. pADPRT-2: a
novel mammalian polymerizing(ADP-ribosyl)transferase gene related to
truncated pADPRT homologues in plants and Caenorhabditis elegans. FEBS
Lett. 1999 , 449,259-63
12. Igarashi,M,Ogasawar,H,Hatsuyama,Y,Saito,A.and Suzuki,M. Introduction
of rolC into Marubakaidou [Malus prunifolia Borkh.var. ringo Asami Mo
84-A] apple rootstock via Agrobacterium tumefaciens Plant Science  2002
,163, 463-73
           13. Bucher,G,Tarina, C, Heinlein, M, Di Serio ,F, Meins ,F.
and Iglesias, V. Local expression of enzymatically active class I
beta-1, 3-glucanase enhances symptoms of TMV infection in tobacco. Plant
J. 2001 ;28,361-9
          14. Jimenez,M,CaasClemente,L,Madueo,F. and Beltran Porter,J.
Sequence regulating the anther specific expression of a gebe abd its use
in the production of androsterile plants and hybrid seed  2004 United
States patent application 20040083504
          15. Agriculture andAgri-Food Canada The report of the seed
sector advisory committee 2004 www.seedsectorreview.com






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