Green Biotechnology Flashcards
Progress in plant biotechnology depends on:
1) Knowledge and understanding (of plants)
2) Development of new technologies
3) Commercialisation of plant biotechnologies
How can Plant Biotechnology deliver sustainable industry?
1) Inputs - sustainable sources, minimise fossil fuels, carbon friendly
2) Processing/manufacture - low energy, minimal waste, efficient use of all inputs
3) Product usage - sustainable consumption, efficient use of all product, minimise waste
4) Post usage - maximal waste recycling
Future Directions of plant GMO through metabolic engineering and synthetic biology
1) Energy/ Biofuels
2) Pharmaceuticals and High Value Chemicals
3) High nutritional value food
4) Resistant Crops
Argued Benefits of Plant GMO
1) Increase crop productivity
2) Conserve biodiversity (save hectares from cultivation)
3) Provide better environment (reduce herbicide/insecticide)
4) Reduce CO2 emissions
5) Help alleviate poverty and hunger
Plant Engineering Methods (Unit Coverage)
1) Nuclear Genome Engineering and Editing (e.g. over-expression, gene silencing, CRIPSR etc)
2) Chloroplast transformation and engineering
Applications of plant genetic engineering (Unit coverage)
1) Biotic stress tolerant crops
2) Improving nutrition of plants by GM e.g. biofortification
3) Use plants to express and produce high value products (e.g. vaccines)
4) Generating and testing superfoods
Recent GM approval updates (there are others)
Sept 14 - The Philippines approved the canola event LBFLFK for food, feed, and processing.
Aug 24 - The Philippines approved the cotton event GFM cry1A for commercial cultivation.
Mar 3 - Brazil approved the wheat event HB4 for commercial cultivation.
2022
Dec 12 - The Philippines approved the soybean event GMB 151 for food, feed, and processing.
Oct 18 - The Philippines approved the eggplant event EE-1 for cultivation
Oct 4 - USA approved the canola event MON94100 for food and feed.
Jul 18 - Nigeria approved the wheat event HB4 for food and feed.
Jul 7 - The USA approved the corn event MON87429 for food and feed.
June 30 - Ghana approved the cowpea event AAT709A for food, feed, and cultivation.
June 22 - The USA approved the wheat event HB4 for food and feed.
May 31 - Turkey approved the maize event MON87427 for feed.
Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act UK
Allows the creation and marketing of ‘precision bred’
or genome-edited plants and vertebrate animals in England, removing them from the regulatory system for the release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Genetically Modified Organism (EU directive 2001)
an organism, with the exception of human beings, in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination;
Are excluded: crosses, graft hybrids, mutagenesis, some somatic hybrids, cells infected with recombinant virus, in vitro fertilisation
CRISPR mutated are not necessarily GM
DNA Insertion - altering genetic material in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination
Transfection - definition
Introduction of a DNA molecule into a cell, usually followed by expression of 1 or more genes from the introduced DNA
Usually up to 50% Cell Population transfected due to DNA being destroyed by DNAase
Transfection GM?
Transfection is not GM if no integration
If transfection leads to Transformation it is GM?
Transformation Definition:
When a DNA molecule has been introduced in a cell and has become heritable. In eukaryotic cells, means DNA molecule has integrated in one of three genomes = GM
How do you select for transformation?
Select for transformation using a chemical marker
Three ‘Modifiable’ Genomes in Eukaryotic Cells (e.g. Plants) - CHATGPT
Nuclear Genome: This is the primary genome of the cell, contains the majority of the cell’s genetic information. In the context of genetic engineering, introducing foreign DNA into the nuclear genome is often the main goal to bring about desired traits or characteristics. This integration can lead to the expression of new genes or the alteration of existing ones.
Mitochondrial Genome: mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is separate from the nuclear DNA and is inherited maternally in most eukaryotic organisms. Genetic modification of the mitochondrial genome can be used to alter traits related to energy production and metabolism.
Chloroplast Genome: In plant cells, chloroplasts (the organelles responsible for photosynthesis) contain cpDNA. Like mitochondrial DNA, chloroplast DNA is distinct from the nuclear DNA. Genetic modifications in the chloroplast genome can affect traits related to photosynthesis and other processes localised in chloroplasts.
modifying the chloroplast genome is often used in plants to express high levels of foreign proteins, while avoiding certain gene flow issues related to pollen dispersal, as chloroplasts are typically maternally inherited.
Transformation Frequency (success rate)
<0.05% to 1%
What factors affect transformation frequency?
- Frequency of transfection
- amount of DNA entering nucleus
- whether DNA is protected from DNAse
- efficiency of selection protocol for transformants
- regeneration efficiency from one cell to a plant
Methods to transfect cell
- Micro-injection using glass microcapillaries
- electroporation of protoplasts
- Biolistics: particle/gun/DNA gun/micropartivle bombardment
- Agrobacterium tumefacians
Define cisgenic organism
An organism that has stably incorporated one or more genes from the same species, through genetic engineering
Define transgenic organism
an organism that has stably incorporated one or more genes (transgenes) through genetic engineering = GM
Breeding is not regulated by patents but by Plant Variety Rights
Patent v Breeding
Breeding
available to anyone to breed a better plant, must be able to show that plant created is different
Precision Breeding
Interface between breeding and GM
GM Labelling in UK
Any food product sold in UK that contains intentionally GM protein or DNA must be clearly labelled
UK Supermarkets and GM
Legal but too much trouble for them to sell GM products
GM Oil?
Oil from GM/Non Gm is basically identical, contains very little DNA (traces) but still noted as GM
Labelling is not required for
If presence is accidental and below 0.9% for EU-approved
GM. Note that unapproved GM varieties are forbidden.
* For meat, eggs and milk from animals fed on GM.
* When GM food-processing-aids are used but absent
from the final product. such as chymosin (rennin). which is
used to make some hard cheeses ( 90% of UK cheese).
Patents
- DNA transfer protocols are patented
- Regeneration protocols are patented
- DNA sequences are patented
Technology
- Agro is the work horse of GM technology
- Biolistics in the second main approach
- Agro: good example of a spin off from basic
sciences (curiosity driven). - ‘Recalcitrant crops’ may require years of research
to develop a suitable transformation protocol
GM in Plant Biotech
GM technology is a heavily patented field; unlike plant breeding
(see PVR website)
GM approach is only a part of plant Biotech. (your project can be
GM technology may be invisible in the final product, but the product
is still defined as GM, except for Precision Breeding.
GM labelling is to inform customer choice not toxicity
GM definition will need to adapt to changes and faces challenges
Mechanisms of gene silencing
Post-transcriptional silencing by small RNAs
RNA interference (RNAi) mediated by siRNAs, miRNAs, antisense
Directed DNA mutation
Site-specific nucleases (ZFNs, TALENs)
CRISPR/Cas
Define Gene Silencing
— suppression (knockdown) or complete absence (null, knockout) of gene/protein
expression
Can be caused by block in transcription (DNA mutation) or block in translation (RNA
degradation or modification)
Small RNA Gene Silencing - details
- stable inherited in Mendelian Fashion
- can be engineered to be very specific (target specific mRNA, single gene)
- or multiple genes simultaneously
What are small RNAs?
- 21-25 nucleotide RNAs
- contribute to post-transcriptional gene silencing by affecting mRNA stability or translation
- contribute to transcriptional gene silencing through epigenetic modifications to chromatin
RNAi via SiRNAs
1) Trigger: dsRNA
2) Processed into numerous (21-25nt) siRNAs by enzyme called Dicer or Dicer-like (DCL)
3) Incorporated with argonaute (AGO) proteins to form RNA-induced silencing complex
4) Act as specific determinations either:
a) destroy homologous mRNA targets
5) repress translation of mRNAs
RNAi for containment of leafy trees
Silencing gene called LEAFY need for flower development
miRNA = type of siRNA
- encoded by specific miRNA genes but act on other genes (trans-acting regulators)
- plants have small number highly conserved miRNAs, large number non-conserved miRNAs
Generation of inverted repeat RNA silencing plasmids
Invert repeat expression vectors can be designed for the artificial construction of double-stranded hairpin RNA (hpRNA) to induce targeted RNA silencing
miRNA mechanism
1) transcription = -75nt pre-mRNA
2) Transcript processing by DCL1
3) Helicase incorporates miRNA into RISC
4) miRNA-driected negative regulation of mRNA targets
5) Target mRNA Cleavage and reduce translation of uncleaved target mRNA
6) = reduced target protein levels
miRNAs and plant biotechnology
- Arabidopsis has many endogenous miRNAs - function is unknown for most
- Some shown to have gene regulation, development, stress response roles
- Manipulation of endogenous miRNAs could have biotechnological potential
Biotechnological potential miRNA examples
- miRNA
o e.g. miRN156 increased biomass
o reduced pathogen infection on mir393 mutants
Use of artificial miRNAs
engineering via LKR/SDH
RNAi to delay tomato ripening
- 1990s experiment
- ‘antisense’ technology to silence the tomato polygalacturonase gene to delay fruit ripening
altered cell wall properties of fruit = more unmodified pectin in regions of cell wall - increased firmness of modified fruit
Pros and Cons of RNA silencing
- RNAi by siRNA or miRNA is more efficient than ‘older’ methods of plant silencing (antisense)
- silencing can be transmitted from cell-to-cell and sometimes over long distances in the plant
- RNA silencing is dominant - phenotypes seen in subsequent generations
- Silencing level may vary between generations (some cases may be lost after many generations - less problem with miRNA)
- Silencing is variable - may not be complete ‘knock out’ but ‘knock down’
Random DNA Mutagenesis
traditional methods cannot be targeted to a specific gene
Chemical mutagen = nucleotide substitution (may introduce premature STOP codon in gene)
Insertional mutagenesis - insertion of a T-DNA into gene to prevent transcription
Directing ‘random’ DNA mutagenesis
Targeted mutagen = site specific nuclease e.g. ZFN and TALEN
Zinc Finger Nucleases
- composed of 3-6 zinc finger domains, designed to bind 9-18 nucleotides of a specific DNA sequence, linked to a DNA cleavage domain (Foki endonuclease)
- two copies are needed for both sides of DNA strands to yield double strand break
- genes encoding the ZFNS and short mutated repair template are transformed into the plant via a plasmid
TALENs (TALE Nucleases)
- TALE Protein
- Composed of DNA binding domain of a TALE engineered to bind to a specific DNA sequence, linked to a DNA cleavage domain (Foki endonuclease)
- Two copies are needed both sides of DNA strands to yield double strand break
- Genes encoding the TALENs and short mutated repair template are transformed into plant via a plasmid
Pros and Cons of ZFN and TALEN gene silencing
- both methods can provide targeted mutation to specific genes leading to complete loss of expression (knockout rather than knockdown)
- both methods shown to work in numerous plant species : various patents filed for use in both methods in plants/plant biotech
- ZFNs = laborious, time consuming, expensive, high failure rate
- TALENs = easier to design and engineer but resource intensive, some evidence of off-target activity
- both methods need a dimer to function - monomeric nuclease method would be more efficient
Gene mutation by CRISPR/Cas
- clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) include Cas type II nuclease
- cas9 endonuclease, makes ds breaks after recongising PAM sequence on the DNA
- RuvC and HNH nuclease domains make the cut
- guideRNA made up of CRISPR RNA (crRNA) and transactivating crRNA (tracrRNA)
Potential of CRISPR mutations
- the method of choice in plants for precision genome editing
- works in many plant species including crops
- can generate mutation with high effeciency and specificity
- minimal off target effects reported in plants
- easily designed and requires less components
- shown to be effective at generating large genomic deletions (>200kb), potnetially to delete entire clusters of genes
- other nucleases (e.g. Cas12a, Cas13) alongside Cas9 expanding possibilities.
Pros of Using Transgenic Plants as Production Platforms
- low cost of producing proteins
- sustainable: light/nutrients (carbon neutral)
- storage of germplasm as seeds
- rapid scale up from seeds
- no animal pathogens (animal, viruses & pathogenic bacteria ad endotoxins)
- relative low carbon footprint compared to fermentation
Cons of Using Transgenic Plants as Production Platforms
- regulation and containment
- time to isolate stable transgenic plants (>12 months) = transient expression = solution
Gene Transfer Methods
- Agrobacterium tumefaciens = gene transfer to the nucleus
- Particle Bombardment
- Agrobacterium tumefaciens
single clean insertions in single copy DNA chromosomes
random insertion of genes (illegitimate recombination, not targeted)
Stable inheritance of transgenes
No vector sectors (region between T-DNA borders)
More species even cereal amenable to Agrobacterium
Particle Bombardment
- multiple complex insertions into nuclear chromosomes
- ‘random’ insertion of genes (illegitimate recombination - not targeted)
- some insertions unstable
- vector DNA inserted into chromosomes
- efficient in many crops such as cereals and soybean
Particle Bombardment and Tissue Culture in Wheat
First report in 1991, now routine in few labs
Marker Genes and Selection
Plant selectable marker genes (selection in plants)
- nptII most common marker gene (kanamycin resistance)
- extensively tested and gained regulatory acceptance
Transformation methods to remove antibiotic resistance genes are desirable
Plant Expression Hosts
- tobacco
- tomato
- seeds
- cell culture