|
|
 
|
APHIS deregulates Monsanto's GT 200 canola (Thursday, Dec. 12, 2002-- CropChoice news) --
Checkbiotech via Agnet:
The animal and plant health inspection service (APHIS) recently decided to
deregulate Monsanto's genetically engineered canola GT200.
After analysing scientific data and listening to public responses, APHIS
recently decided to deregulate the canola variety GT200. This determination
followed Monsanto's request for a non-regulation status for its new canola
product.
Moreover, the recent decision by APHIS may have been facilitated due to the
fact that Monsanto's canola GT200 was produced using the same method as for
its non-regulated Roundup Ready canola RT73.
Similar to canola RT73, canola GT200 expresses the
5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) enzyme from
Agrobacterium sp. (strain CP4), and the glyphosate oxidoreductase (GOX)
protein from Ochrobactrum anthropi (strain LBAA). Working symbiotically,
EPSPS and GOX make the plant resistant to the herbicide glyphosate.
Glyphosate is one of the most used herbicides worldwide. When sprayed on
plants glyphosate (N-phosphonomethyl glycine) inhibits the production of
aromatic amino acids that are essential for plant growth.
Prior to the recent decision to deregulate Monsanto's GT200, the product
could only be used in field trials as a regulated article.
APHIS defines a regulated article as an organism or product that is a plant
pest, or that is under suspicion of being a plant pest, as a result of
having been altered, or produced, through genetic engineering.
GT200 and RT73 canola varieties were produced through transformation of the
parental canola variety Westar using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens method.
Both products make use of the plant pathogen figwort mosaic virus to control
gene expression of the added genes. In this case, the virus' pathogenic
components were taken out, thus eliminating any possible risk from using the
virus in the plant. Despite these precautionary steps, the use of the
figwort mosaic virus was one of the driving factors to regulate GT200 before
its release for commercial use.
After analysing all available data during the regulation period, APHIS
concluded that canola GT200 is safe because it expresses no plant pest
characteristics, is no more likely to become a weed than traditional
varieties, is unlikely to increase the weed-potential of other species with
which it can interbreed, and it will not harm other organisms that are
beneficial to agriculture.
The recent ruling by APHIS will be effective as of January 2, 2003. | |
