Cisgenesis: an important sub-invention for traditional plant breeding companies

Modern plant breeding is highly dependent on new technologies to master future problems. More traits have to be combined, frequently originating from wild species. Traditional breeding is connected with linkage drag problems. The crop plant itself and its crossable species represent the traditional breeders gene pool. GM-breeding is a new way of improving existing varieties. Transgenes originate from non-crossable species and are representing a new gene pool. For release of GM-plants into the environment and onto the market in Europe Directive 2001/18/EC has been developed, primarily based on GM-technology and not on gene source. In society, opposition against GM crops is complicating the implementation of GM crops. In this paper, it is shown that not only transgenes, representing a new gene pool but also cisgenes and intragenes are available, representing the breeders gene pool. Cisgenes are natural genes and intragenes are composed of functional parts of natural genes from the crop plant itself or from crossable species. Cisgenesis is the combined use of only cisgenes with marker-free transformation, mimicking linkage drag free introgression breeding in one step. Therefore, cisgenesis is a new sub-invention in the traditional breeding field and indicates the need for reconsideration of GM Directives. Inventions are frequently containing not only hardware elements, but also software and orgware elements. For cisgenesis it is foreseen that the technical (hardware) and bioinformatic (software) elements will develop smoothly, but that implementation in society is highly dependent on acceptance and regulations (orgware). It could be made in a step by step approach by specific crop-gene derogations from the Directive, followed by adding cisgenesis to annex 1b of Directive 2001/18/EC for exemption. At present GM crops can only be introduced by large companies. An open innovation approach for cisgenesis by public private partnership including traditional SMEs has been discussed. Cisgenesis has been exemplified for resistance breeding of potato to Phytophthtora infestans

Cisgenesis, a new tool for traditional plant breeding, should be exempted from the regulation on genetically modified organisms in a step by step approach

Modern potato breeding requires over 100,000 seedlings per new variety. Main reasons are (1) the increasing number of traits that have to be combined in this tetraploid vegetatively propagated crop, and (2) an increasing number of traits (e.g., resistance to biotic stress) originates from wild species. Pre-breeding by introgression or induced translocation is an expensive way of transferring single traits (such as R-genes, coding for resistance to biotic stress) to the cultivated plant. The most important obstacle is simultaneous transfer of undesired neighbouring alien alleles as linkage drag. Stacking several genes from different wild sources is increasing this linkage drag problem tremendously. Biotechnology has enabled transformation of alien genes into the plant. Initially, transgenes were originating mainly from microorganisms, viruses or non-crossable plant species, or they were chimeric. Moreover, selection markers coding for antibiotic resistance or herbicide resistance were needed. Transgenes are a new gene source for plant breeding and, therefore, additional regulations like the EU Directive 2001/18/EC were developed. Because of a strong opposition against genetic modification of plants in Europe, the application of this Directive is strict, very expensive, hampering the introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops and the use of this technology by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Currently, GM crops are almost the exclusive domain of multinationals. Meanwhile, not only transgenes but also natural genes from the plant species itself or from crossable plant species, called cisgenes, are available and the alien selection genes can be avoided in the end product. This opens the way for cisgenic crops without alien genes. The existing EU directive for GM organisms is not designed for this new development. The cisgenes belong to the existing breeders¿ gene pool. The use of this classical gene pool has been regulated already in agreements regarding breeders¿ rights. We are proposing a step by step approach starting with a crop and gene specific derogation and monitoring towards a general exemption of cisgenic plants from the Directive. Two examples, i.e. development of cisgenic potato for resistance to Phytophthora infestans and cisgenic apple for resistance to Venturia inaequalis are discussed shortly for illustration of the importance of cisgenesis as a new tool for traditional plant breeding. Cisgenesis is simplifying introgression and induced translocation breeding tremendously and is highly recommended for SMEs and developing countrie

Molecular analysis and phenotype characterization of the progeny of two antisense potato plants

Two transgenic potato lines csr2-1 and csr4-8, containing two different antisense constructs, csr2 and csr4, respectively, were crossed to investigate the possibility of achieving double transformants with combined effects of the two antisense transgenes on plant phenotypes and cellulose deposition. Molecular analysis revealed an expected segregation ratio of 1:1:1:1 of the four classes. Phenotype characterization revealed that offspring containing either one or both transgenes produced more tubers than the control plants but individual tubers were mostly smaller and had lesser weight than the control tubers

The Norwegian Banks in the Nordic Consortia: A Case of International Strategic Alliances in Banking

Despite the scholarly interest in joint ventures and strategic alliances, the consortium bank movement represents an under-researched phase in post-war banking history. From 1964 to the mid-1980s, many of the largest banks in the world, including the Nordic banks, entered into international strategic alliances. Almost all of these alliances are now defunct. We follow the Norwegian banks in the Nordic consortia and find that domestic rivals do not cooperate but international rivals do. Legal prohibitions in the Nordic countries on entry by foreign banks underpinned the cooperation. The cooperation broke down when changes in domestic regulations permitted the Nordic banks to establish operations in each others' domestic markets.

Differential expression of cellulose synthase (CesA) gene transcripts in potato as revealed by QRT-PCR

Two transgenic potato lines, csr2–1 and csr4–8 that contained two different antisense cellulose synthase (CesA) genes, csr2 and csr4, respectively were crossed. The aim, amongst others, was to investigate the possibility of generating double transformants to validate a hypothetical presence of the proteins of the two CesA genes in the same cellulose synthase enzyme complex. SYBR-Green quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays were carried out on four CesA gene transcripts (CesA1, 2, 3, and 4) in the wild type genetic background, and on the two antisense CesA gene transcripts (CesA2 and 4) in the progeny resulting from the cross between the two transgenic potato lines. The quantitative RT-PCR analyses revealed different expression patterns of the two CesA genes. The CesA2 mRNA was shown to be relatively more abundant than CesA4 mRNA, regardless of the genetic background, suggesting that the two proteins are not present in the same enzyme complex

Applied Biotechnology to combat the late blight in potato caused by Phytophthora infestans

Potato is an important crop, grown worldwide. It suffers from many pests and diseases among which late blight, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, is the worst. The disease is still causing major damage in many potato production areas and control is only possible by applying fungicides frequently. The knowledge on the molecular biology and genetics of the interaction between the plant and the oomycete is developing rapidly. These are relevant fields of study, currently dominated by the discovery of many resistance genes and numerous effector proteins and the analysis of their specific mode of action. These studies may yield essential information needed for the development of durable resistance. The long-term and worldwide effort to breed for resistance so far has had little effect. A novel breeding approach may change this. It is based on cisgenic modification (CM) consisting of marker-free pyramiding of several resistance genes and their spatial and temporal deployment yielding dynamic varieties that contain potato genes only. It is envisioned that this CM approach with potato¿s own genes will not only prove societally acceptable but may also result in simplifications in the legislation on use of the CM approach. Various parties in the potato research arena intend to cooperate in this novel approach in a number of developing countries where potato substantially contributes to food security. The use of resources such as land, water and energy improves when the effect of late blight is markedly reduce

Updating the phase diagram of the archetypal frustrated magnet Gd3Ga5O12

The applied magnetic field and temperature phase diagram of the archetypal frustrated magnet, Gd3Ga5O12, has been reinvestigated using single crystal magnetometry and polarised neutron diffraction. The updated phase diagram is substantially more complicated than previously reported and can be understood in terms of competing interactions with loops of spins, trimers and decagons, in addition to competition and interplay between antiferromagnetic, incommensurate and ferromagnetic order. Several additional distinct phase boundaries are presented. The phase diagram centers around a multiphase convergence to a single point at 0.9 T and ~ 0.35 K, below which, in temperature, a very narrow magnetically disordered region exists. These data illustrate the richness and diversity that arises from frustrated exchange on the 3 dimensional hyperkagome lattice

The CLAVATA and SHOOT MERISTEMLESS loci competitively regulate meristem activity in Arabidopsis

The CLAVATA (CLV1 and CLV3) and SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) genes specifically regulate shoot meristem development in Arabidopsis. CLV and STH appear to have opposite functions: c1v1 and Clv3 mutants accumulate excess undifferentiated cells in the shoot and floral meristem, while stm mutants fail to form the undifferentiated cells of the shoot meristem during embryonic development. We have identified a weak allele of stm (stm-2) that reveals STM is not only required for the establish- ment of the shoot meristem, but is also required for the continued maintenance of undifferentiated cells in the shoot meristem and for proper proliferation of cells in the floral meristem. We have found evidence of genetic interactions between the CLV and STM loci. clv1 and c1v3 mutations partially suppressed the stm-1 and stm-2 phenotypes, and were capable of suppression in a dominant fashion. clv stm double mutants and plants homozygous for stm but heterozygous for clv, while still lacking an embryonic shoot meristem, exhibited greatly enhanced postembryonic shoot and floral meristem development. Although stm phenotypes are recessive, stm mutations dominantly suppressed clv homozygous and heterozygous phenotypes. These results indicate that the stm phenotype is sensitive to the levels of CLV activity, while the clv phenotype is sensitive to the level of STM activity. We propose that these genes play related but opposing roles in the regulation of cell division and/or cell differentiation in shoot and floral meristems