GM Feed Pea Created in Germany

VANCOUVER - Jan 30/07 - SNS -- Plant breeders in Germany have developed a genetically modified feed pea variety, which is intended to produce an antibody to provide passive immunization of pigs against E. coli.

The circular published by the European Union reveals genetic sequences used to modify the field pea variety come from mice, fababeans, and diseases such as Cauliflower mosaic virus.

Novoplant GmbH grew the initial product in a greenhouse in Germany. However, the documentation reveals an application has been made for field trials in the United States this year.

News of the experimental release is ironic, given the fact European buyers have been clear in their warnings that producing genetically modified field pea varieties in North America would halt feed and food pea imports for an uncertain period of time.

Inclusion of antibodies in the field pea variety will be controversial if the field pea goes into general release because of the risk some of the pea could enter the human food chain, where this variety could be viewed more as a pharmaceutical than a food.

Interestingly, work on this variety of field pea dates back to 2005, when German researchers tried to increase protein content.

"Pisum sativum (cv. Eiffel) has been transformed using an Agrobacterium-mediated method. The transgenic pea contains a Vicia faba derived amino acid transporter sequence (VfAAP1) under the control of the Vicia faba derived promoter LeB4. The transgenic plants do not contain marker genes. Expression of the VfAAP1 gene potentially increases seed sink strength for nitrogen and seed protein content," according to notication B/DE/04/158 of February 16, 2005.

Researchers inserted "A Vicia faba derived DNA sequence encoding an amino acid transport protein in order to increase amino acid uptake into seeds. A Vicia faba derived DNA sequence encoding a legumin B promoter (LeB4) in order to restrict the expression of the transgene to the growing embryo."

Subscribers can read the full text of the article by Clicking here