Genetically modified soybean

Submitted by : Apoorva Gupta M.Tech Food Biotechnology (I)

Introduction
Soybean - Glycine max - species oflegume native toEast Asia Classified as anoilseed rather than apulse by theFood and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Main producers of soy are theUnited States (35%),Brazil (27%), Argentina (19%) ,China(6%) andIndia (4%). The beans contain significant amounts ofphytic acid,alpha-linolenic acid, and theisoflavonesgenisteinand daidzein. Soya beans provide the raw material and basis for countless forms of foodstuffs, food ingredients and supplements such as:

- Soya flour, soya grits , differentsoya protein products, in particular for convenience foods - Traditional soya products such astofu,soya sauce,miso andtempeh - Substitutes for meat and milk:soya milk, soya puddings,textured soya protein - Animal feed - Renewable primary products, energy crops: - Biofuels from soya oil (particularly in the USA) - Soya oil: basis for varnish, paints, washing and cleaning agents, lubricants, softener

Obstacles in the production of conventional soybean : Weeds Insects Fungi Nematodes Viruses GM soybean Has foreign DNA inserted introduced in a way other than combination of male and female gametes confers a desirable trait Main commercial GM soybean Roundup Ready soybean marketed by Monsanto resistant to herbicide glyphosate

Problems with conventional soybean

Need for GM soybean

For incorporation of several different traits : Agronomic & quality

1) Agronomic traits - Weed control i.e. herbicide tolerant - Adaptation to climate and location factors - Tolerance to drought and salinity - Resistance to pathogens, fungi and nematodes - Resistance against pests - Insect resistanceagainst the larvae of different types of

2) Quality traits - Increased content of oleic acid (86% instead of 23%), and less linoleic acid - GM-soya beans with a higher content of oleic acid are grown in the USA - Modified protein andamino acid content: e.g. enrichment with methionine - Reduced content of the polysaccharides stachyose and raffinose - Enrichment with health-promoting ingredients, such as : sterols and stanols, secondary plant compounds that have a cholesterol lowering effect, vitamin E - Removal of harmful substances such as allergens

Different GM soybean varieties

1. Roundup Ready soybean - Monsanto - Resistant to glyphosate herbicide - Major GM soyabean planted in different countries 2. Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans Monsanto (Brand : Genuity) Higher yield, expanded herbicide tolerance and enhanced oil products

3. Plenisha Pioneer brand soybean - Suppresses FATB and FAD2 genes - reduces the levels of linoleic acid, stearic acid and palmitic acid present in seeds - trans fat free and reduced saturated fat soybean oil provides increased stability for food manufacturers frying and baking applications.

4. Optimum GAT soybean DuPont (Pioneer Hi-bred international ) - Outstanding glyphosate and ALS herbicide tolerance efficacy and strong multi-year yield results 5. Dow Herbicide Tolerant Soybean - Allows for the use of 2,4-D in soybean with excellent crop safety in either pre-plant or post-emergence applications 5. Dicamba Tolerant Soybean Monsanto 6. HPPD Tolerant Soybean (hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase) Bayer CropScience 7. LibertyLink soybean - Soybeans resistant to glufosinate herbicide 8. In the pipeline : Soymega by Monsanto - has stearidonic

Fig.: Figure showing the trends in development of new soybean varieties

In research
Transgenic soybean with low phytate content constructed by Agrobacterium transformation expression of a microbial phytase (Yang S. et al., 2010) Transgenic soybean plants containing an Arabidopsis P5 CR gene protection against heat and drought stress (De Ronde J A et al., 2004) Anti-hypertensive activity of genetically modified soybean seeds accumulating novokinin ( Yamada Y. et al., 2007) Modification of isoflavones in soybean seeds via expression of multiple phenolic biosynthetic genes (Zernova O. V. et al., 2009)

How Roundup Ready soybean is made

Roundup Ready soybean resistant to glyphosate herbicide Glyphosate kills plants by interfering in the synthesis of aromatic amino acids PheAla, Trp, Tyr Inhibits the enzyme EPSPS (enolpyruvylshikimate-3phosphate synthase) C4 strain ofAgrobacterium sp.- a species of bacteria that was found growing in the waste-fed column at a factory that made glyphosate The C4 EPSP bacterial gene was cloned and inserted into a bacterial plant vector in order to prepare for cloning into plants.

Fig.: A modified vector used in the genetic engineering of soybean plant

Ori-322is an origin of replication from plasmid pBr322. Ori-Vis an origin from plasmid RK2, a plasmid that can propagate in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. SPC/STRencodes a protein conferring spectinomycin / streptomycin resistance AAC(3)-III encodes bacterial gentamycin-3-N-acetyl transferase type III allowing selection for gentamycin resistance in plants. The bacterial C4 EPSP gene was modified to have a strong plant promoter (Pe35S) and a polyadenylation

 The complete process begins with the isolation of small bits of plant tissue They are grown on nutrient plates before being exposed to the bacteria carying the recombinant DNA plasmid

Transformed cells will start to grow and they can eventually be isolated and transferred to a liquid that promotes shoot growth After a few weeks, an entire plant carrying the recombinant DNA is obtained

This plant is then propagated to produce thousands of genetically

Fig.: Figure showing the complete process of transformation

Benefits of using RR-soybean

Some reasons for adoption of RR soybeans other than soybean yields and weed control costs given by various authors are :

(a)allowing post emergence use of the inexpensive herbicide glyphosate, (b)saving on management costs because of its simple use, (c)using less herbicides, and (d)the additional advantage of reducing risk by widening the time window for post emergence spraying. (e)They allow for more use of reduced and no-tillage systems -

The Terminator gene - to sterilize seeds produced by the plant Allergenicity

Problems with Roundup Ready soybean

Increased use of glyphosate - Rapidly absorbed by foliar parts of the plant - Harm to wildlife - Glyphosate herbicides are endocrine disruptors (substances that interfere with hormone functioning) in human cells - Glyphosate and Roundup damage human embryonic cells and placental cell - Glyphosate reduces nutrient uptake in plants Glyphosate-resistant weeds (superweeds) - transgene escape - major problem for farmers who grow GM RR soy

Fig.: Figure showing a resistant grass weed growing in the field of Roundup Ready soybean

Global status of GM-soybean

Only four crops being marketed commercially i.e., corn, cotton, soybean and canola India : only Non GM soybean The Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA), the regulatory body responsible for approving GMOs for agriculture and livestock in Columbia , recently approved the commercial planting of Roundup Ready soybeans (MON-04032-6) developed by Monsanto

Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation Embrapa launched a program to support non-GM soy Market trends - Concerns about genetically engineered foods have caused the market demand for non GMO soybeans to rise.

References

http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/database/plants/67.soybean.html www.isaaa.org (The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications) www.pioneer.com www.monsanto.com www.agbioforum.org www.dupont.com