GE Crops - Plant Breeding

Question 1

What is plant breeding?

Answer 1

The process of manipulating a plant species to create new varieties with a desired genotype and phenotype for a specific purpose

Question 2

What is the point of plant breeding?

Answer 2

Improve desired traits and/or reduce undesired ones

Question 3

How is breeding driven by artificial selection?

Answer 3

We select what we desire from the population, which results in genetic changes in the population

Question 4

What are the 4 main methods of plant breeding?

Answer 4

• Outcrossing
• Mutagenesis
• Genetic engineering
• Gene editing

Question 5

What is outcrossing? What are the two types? What is the source of genetic variation?

Answer 5

Crossing one plant with another plant. Intraspecific is crossing two plants of the same species. Interspecific is crossing two sexually compatible plants of different species. The genetic variation comes from the other plants

Question 6

What is mutagenesis? What is the source of genetic variation?

Answer 6

Generation of a random mutation through exposure to a mutagen and hope it gives us the trait we want. The genetic variation comes from mutations introduced in the existing plant

Question 7

What is genetic engineering?

Answer 7

Using biotechnology to introduce a new gene that gives a trait of interest

Question 8

What is gene editing?

Answer 8

Targeted mutagenesis that introduces a mutation in an existing sequence

Question 9

What are three things required for all methods of plant breeding?

Answer 9

A way to select for the desired trait, a source of genetic variation, and a defined breeding goal

Question 10

Where are compatible plants with the desired traits obtained from when doing outcrossing?

Answer 10

Germplasm collections or seed vaults

Question 11

What is backcrossing? Why is it necessary in outcrossing?

Answer 11

Crossing the F1 plant back to a plant that is 100% the variety we want. Necessary because the F1 will have 50% of the genome of the desired variety and 50% the trait source, but we want as close to the desired variety as possible with the new trait

Question 12

What is a potential risk of using mutagenesis to create a new variety of plant?

Answer 12

Can create other mutations other than the one we wanted

Question 13

What is a potential risk of using outcrossing to create a new variety of plant?

Answer 13

Might leave a significant amount of DNA from the trait source plant

Question 14

What is a potential risk of using genetic engineering to create a new variety of plant?

Answer 14

Unless removed, the selection marker and other sequences associated with the transgene will still be there

Question 15

Why is gene editing different from genetic engineering?

Answer 15

No exogenous DNA is introduced, only editing an existing sequence

Question 16

What is the current status of gene edited crops?

Answer 16

Still being developed and countries are still figuring out how to regulate them. Likely will be treated as a form of mutagenesis