Molecular based evidence for a lack of gene-flow between Rosa×hybrida and wild Rosa species in Japan

Abstract

An important part of the assessment of the potential environmental impact from the introduction of a genetically modified (GM) plant is an evaluation of the potential for gene flow from the GM plant to related wild species. This information is needed as part of the risk-assessment process, in the context of whether gene flow to wild species is possible. One method for evaluating gene flow is to use molecular techniques to identify genes in wild species populations that may have originated from a cultivated species. An advantage of this method is that a phenotypic marker or trait is not required to measure gene flow. In the present study we analyzed the seedlings of seeds from three wild native Rosa species (R. multiflora Thunb., R. luciae Rochebr. et Franch. ex Crép. and R. rugosa Thunb.) selected from several locations across Japan where the wild rose was growing in close proximity to cultivated rose plants (Rosaϫhybrida). To determine whether gene flow from cultivated rose had occurred, young leaves of 1,296 seedlings from the wild Rosa plants were analyzed by PCR for the presence of the KSN locus. This locus originated from a sport of R. chinensis Jacq. var. spontanea (Rehd. et Wils.) Yu et Ku and is involved in the recurrent flowering phenotype observed for cultivated rose hybrids, but is absent in Japanese species roses. The KSN locus was absent in all seedlings sampled, indicating no gene flow to wild Rosa species from the cultivated rose had occurred, and providing evidence that the probability of gene flow from cultivated to wild Rosa species in Japan is low or non-existent.

Environmental risk assessment and field performance of rose (Rosa×hybrida) genetically modified for delphinidin production

“…These results indicate that gene dispersal from the host and the two GM rose lines to R. multiflora, if any, is likely to be rare under natural condition. We previously showed that gene transfer from Rosaϫhybrida to Japanese wild roses could not be detected (Nakamura et al 2011). As the two GM rose lines used in this study are transgenic only in L1 cells, transgene flow from these GM rose lines to Japanese wild roses could not occur.…”

“…In a separate study, we extensively analyzed the seedlings of Japanese wild roses (R. multiflora, R. luciae and R. rugosa) growing in close proximity to Rosaϫhybrida and detected no gene flower from Rosaϫhybrida to the wild roses in the wild (Nakamura et al 2011). In that study, the KSN gene (a perpetual flowering gene found in cultivated rose but not Japanese wild roses) was used as a marker to detect whether there was any gene flow.…”

“…Amplified DNA was subjected to PCR to detect the KSN locus using a pair of primers (KSNIF3 (5Ј-CATATTATGGCATAGGGTGTGGC-3Ј) and KSNInsR3 (5Ј-TGTAATCTGTAGGAGATCCCATGC-3Ј)). For a positive control, a GAPDH DNA fragment was amplified (RhGAPDH-237F (5Ј-TGTCATCTCTGCCCCAAGTAAGG-3Ј) and RhGAPDH-724R (5Ј-CAACATCCTCATCGGTGTAACCC-3Ј)) as described elsewhere (Nakamura et al 2011). …”

Beyond the blue rose: Modification of floral architecture with plant-specific chimeric repressors

“…On the other hand, all cultivated roses are tetraploid, while all wild races that can cross-fertilize with the transgenic rose are diploid. Therefore, the resulting triploid progeny are infertile (Nakamura et al 2011a(Nakamura et al , 2011b. However, the evaluation of biodiversity impact in these plants consumed much time and incurred heavy costs.…”

“…In this issue, Suntory provide their technical data for the biodiversity impact evaluation of the blue rose (Nakamura et al 2011a(Nakamura et al , 2011b. Although this kind of work as well as the approaches to GMO production including isolation and characterization of applied genes as in this issue (Fukuchi-Mizutani et al 2011;Togami et al 2011) are sometimes difficult to publish as academic papers, we hope many scientific journals, including Plant Biotechnology will provide a place for the discussion of its importance as a part of academic research.…”