Orange petunia
Orange petunia | |
---|---|
Petunia × hybrida | |
Mode | Transgenesis |
Trait(s) conferred | Orange flowers |
Genes introduced | A1 |
Source | Maize |
Orange
History
Orange petunias were created in 1987 by a team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, led by geneticist Peter Meyer. In a paper published in Nature the same year, the researchers demonstrated that the insertion of a gene from maize into a petunia would cause the plant to produce pelargonidin, turning its flowers salmon.[1] This was the first modification of flower color using a transgene.[2] The trial of the technology involved the planting of 30,000 such genetically modified petunias, which were the first transgenic plants to be allowed into the field in Germany. According to Meyer, public opinion was strongly against the planting at the time.[1]
Despite the controversy over production of the petunias, a corporation affiliated with seed company Zaadunie acquired a license for the technology, and reported in 1995 that they had created commercially viable orange petunias. Compared to the original petunias, the gene for orange pigment was more consistently expressed in these plants, and the flowers were a vivid orange color. Rogers NK collaborated with Zaadunie to gain approval for a field trial of the petunias in Florida, but according to their originator Peter Meyer, the petunias were never commercialized by any of these companies.[1] Orange petunias were also created through a similar genetic modification from other plant sources, including Gerbera, Calibrachoa, and rose; these were never officially commercialized either.[3]
Petunia carnage of 2017
In 2015,
I told too much. I should have asked a hypothetical question.
Teemu Teeri, referring to his decision to share the existence of the petunias[1]
Teeri notified a regulator with the
By May 2, 2017, the
Regulatory agencies' sudden awareness of the presence of unauthorized genetically modified organisms on the market led to a recall campaign[6] and the destruction of modified petunia plants,[1] causing worldwide economic losses.[6] Orange petunias were essentially removed from the global economic market, with a few exceptions including Canada.[3] The event was dubbed the "petunia carnage of 2017"[1] by photographer Klaus Pichler.[7][8]
The events leading to the widespread presence of orange petunias are unclear.[1][6] Tracing the development of the plants is difficult in part because of the complexity of the biotechnology field; Zaadunie was owned by conglomerate Sandoz when the orange petunias were first developed, but Sandoz merged into Novartis in 1996, and Novartis merged its agricultural arm with that of AstraZeneca in 2000 to form Syngenta. An executive at trade group AmericanHort suggested that "somewhere along the line [...] somebody lost sight of the fact that the original color breakthrough in question here had been achieved through genetic modification".[1]
Subsequent regulation
The USDA stated in 2017 that it would not pursue action against companies which had distributed orange petunias, as it appeared that they had not been aware that the plants were unauthorized genetically modified organisms.[1] In 2021, a petition by German plant supply company Westhoff led the USDA and APHIS to deregulate orange petunias in the United States, allowing their sale.[9]
Traits
Genetic
Flower coloration from
Orange petunias contain a gene encoding
While the original orange petunias had poor horticultural properties, plant breeders were able to introduce the genetic modification into hardier petunia varieties through crossbreeding.[10]
Visual
While petunias and similar plants do not normally produce orange or bright red flowers because they are genetically unable to synthesize such pigments, genetically modified orange petunias have orange flowers.[13] Flower size and shade vary across different varieties.[10] Some petunia varieties that produce red or purple flowers also carry the gene modification that originally created orange petunias.[14]
Interaction with other organisms
Orange petunias are not pests and are not considered noxious weeds in the United States, where they are not sexually compatible with any wild plants.[14] The Finnish Food Safety Authority noted after their investigation that while the petunias were not authorized for cultivation in the European Union, they "do not cause any risk to people or the environment".[15]
Varieties
Orange petunia varieties carry commercial names including 'African Sunset', 'Cascadias Indian Summer', and 'Bonnie Orange'[16] as well as 'Salmon Ray', 'Viva Orange', and 'Electric Orange'.[3]
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Servick 2017.
- ^ Haselmair-Gosch et al. 2020, p. 419.
- ^ a b c d Haselmair-Gosch et al. 2020, p. 416.
- ^ Fraiture et al. 2019, p. 1.
- ^ Knapton 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Haselmair-Gosch et al. 2018, p. 1.
- ^ Next Nature Network 2022.
- ^ Barber 2022, p. 25.
- ^ a b Greenhouse Product News 2021.
- ^ a b c d Bashandy & Teeri 2017, p. 279.
- ^ Haselmair-Gosch et al. 2020, p. 422.
- ^ Meyer et al. 1987, p. 677.
- ^ Haselmair-Gosch et al. 2018, p. 2.
- ^ a b Malakoff 2017.
- ^ Simakis & Varga 2017.
- ^ Bashandy & Teeri 2017, p. 278.
Works cited
- Barber, Gregory (June 2022). "Love Me, Love Me Not". Wired. pp. 24–25.
- Bashandy, Hany; Teeri, Teemu H. (August 2017). "Genetically engineered orange petunias on the market". PMID 28647812.
- Fraiture, Marie-Alice; Ujhelyi, Gabriella; Ovesná, Jaroslava; Van Geel, Dirk; De Keersmaecker, Sigrid; Saltykova, Assia; Papazova, Nina; Roosens, Nancy H. C. (May 9, 2019). "MinION sequencing technology to characterize unauthorized GM petunia plants circulating on the European Union market". PMID 31073231.
- Haselmair-Gosch, Christian; Miosic, Silvija; Nitarska, Daria; Roth, Barbara L.; Walliser, Benjamin; Paltram, Renate; Lucaciu, Rares C.; Eidenberger, Lukas; Rattei, Thomas; Olbricht, Klaus; Stich, Karl (February 28, 2018). "Great Cause—Small Effect: Undeclared Genetically Engineered Orange Petunias Harbor an Inefficient Dihydroflavonol 4-Reductase". PMID 29541079.
- Haselmair-Gosch, Christian; Nitarska, Daria; Walliser, Benjamin; Flachowsky, Henryk; Marinovic, Silvija; Halbwirth, Heidi (June 19, 2020). "Event-specific qualitative polymerase chain reaction analysis for two T-DNA copies in genetically modified orange Petunia". PMID 32684656.
- Knapton, Sarah (May 9, 2017). "GM petunias could harm wildlife in Britain's gardens, warn campaigners". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- Malakoff, David (May 16, 2017). "U.S. flower sellers rush to destroy illegal GE petunias". ScienceInsider. Science. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- Meyer, Peter; Heidmann, Iris; Forkmann, Gert; Saedler, Heinz (December 1987). "A new petunia flower colour generated by transformation of a mutant with a maize gene". S2CID 4251435.
- Servick, Kelly (May 24, 2017). "How the transgenic petunia carnage of 2017 began". ScienceInsider. Science. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- Simakis, Michelle; Varga, Karen E. (May 14, 2017). "Breaking: Finnish report prompts petunia genetics investigation in the U.S." Greenhouse Management. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- "USDA Approves Sale of Orange Petunias". Greenhouse Product News. January 20, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- "The Petunia Carnage". Next Nature Network. Interview with Klaus Pichler. 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
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Source attribution
- SpringerLink.
- SpringerLink.