Above: A BBC documentary on Uganda's genetically modified golden bananas (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21945311)
Genetically modified crops: bananas
A study of Scientific Principles behind the production of Genetically Modified Bananas.
The process of selective breeding, cross breeding for development of new genetic strains of crops has been used by humans for thousands of years but it is only since the late 1970s whereby a new technique developed known as genetic engineering or genetic modification. It involved the insertion of specific genes artificially into the genome of a plant. (Halford, 2011).
Bananas cannot reproduce conventionally but rather reproduce asexually through transplanted offshoots from existing banana plants. However, the effect of this is that only one crop or species of banana is able to be produced, increasing the chance of extinction due to its high vulnerability to species-wide diseases.
Micronutrient deficiencies are one of the biggest health problems, especially in developing countries, and one of the strategies developed to combat this problem is the genetic modification of bananas to introduce extra nutrients within the bananas.
The end result of this project was to enrich and fortify bananas with pro-vitamin A, vitamin E and iron.
Bananas cannot reproduce conventionally but rather reproduce asexually through transplanted offshoots from existing banana plants. However, the effect of this is that only one crop or species of banana is able to be produced, increasing the chance of extinction due to its high vulnerability to species-wide diseases.
Micronutrient deficiencies are one of the biggest health problems, especially in developing countries, and one of the strategies developed to combat this problem is the genetic modification of bananas to introduce extra nutrients within the bananas.
The end result of this project was to enrich and fortify bananas with pro-vitamin A, vitamin E and iron.
THE DEVELOPMENT of GM Bananas
Fig. 1 (A representation of the structure of ferritin, a protein that stores iron)
As iron (Fe3+) occurs naturally in a form that is toxic and insoluble, it is not available to the plant unless it undergoes a reduction step (to Fe2+) to become available to be transported through the plant. There are three main genes involved in the accumulation of iron which have been tested in other fruits and vegetables, which have been isolated and are being tested for their effectiveness in increasing iron input.
For the enrichment of various vitamins, promoters (the component of DNA that controls gene expression) were investigated and isolated from genes that are vital to the metabolic processes within the banana and introduced into banana plants.
Genes cannot be inserted normally as damage to the cell membrane can cause harm to the plant so genes are introduced to the various species of bananas (including Cavendish and Ladyfinger) by Agrobacterium mediated transformation. Transformation of plants by this method is the most common method of accomplishing gene transfer.
Agrobacterium is a plant bacterium that causes a lethal disease within plants by inserting genes that causes rapid growth of cells to sustain the Agrobacterium.
The development of an altered strain of Agrobacterium that still has the ability to insert genes without the ability to cause the lethal plant disease has allowed scientists to alter plant genes.
Leaf-discs or particles are incubated with the bacterium, let to grow and are exposed to hormones, causing them to grow into new plants, which are genetically modified.
For the enrichment of various vitamins, promoters (the component of DNA that controls gene expression) were investigated and isolated from genes that are vital to the metabolic processes within the banana and introduced into banana plants.
Genes cannot be inserted normally as damage to the cell membrane can cause harm to the plant so genes are introduced to the various species of bananas (including Cavendish and Ladyfinger) by Agrobacterium mediated transformation. Transformation of plants by this method is the most common method of accomplishing gene transfer.
Agrobacterium is a plant bacterium that causes a lethal disease within plants by inserting genes that causes rapid growth of cells to sustain the Agrobacterium.
The development of an altered strain of Agrobacterium that still has the ability to insert genes without the ability to cause the lethal plant disease has allowed scientists to alter plant genes.
Leaf-discs or particles are incubated with the bacterium, let to grow and are exposed to hormones, causing them to grow into new plants, which are genetically modified.
Fig2. A diagram of the Agrobacterium mediated Transformation process
Genes cannot be inserted normally as damage to the cell membrane can cause harm to the plant so genes are introduced to the various species of bananas (including Cavendish and Ladyfinger) by Agrobacterium mediated transformation. Transformation of plants by this method is the most common method of accomplishing gene transfer.
Agrobacterium is a plant bacterium that causes a lethal disease within plants by inserting genes that causes rapid growth of cells to sustain the Agrobacterium.
The development of an altered strain of Agrobacterium that still has the ability to insert genes without the ability to cause the lethal plant disease has allowed scientists to alter plant genes.
Leaf-discs or particles are incubated with the bacterium, let to grow and are exposed to hormones, causing them to grow into new plants, which are genetically modified.
Agrobacterium is a plant bacterium that causes a lethal disease within plants by inserting genes that causes rapid growth of cells to sustain the Agrobacterium.
The development of an altered strain of Agrobacterium that still has the ability to insert genes without the ability to cause the lethal plant disease has allowed scientists to alter plant genes.
Leaf-discs or particles are incubated with the bacterium, let to grow and are exposed to hormones, causing them to grow into new plants, which are genetically modified.