C. Tonelli

English

AIR Universita degli studi di Milano

158 Facts & Trends Analysis 2008 159www.biodirectory.itP lant genomics is a fast moving field with applications ranging from crop improvement and protection, to production of compounds of pharma­ceutical interest as well as bioremediation of contaminated soil. Moreover, with market pressure increasing on the large food crops such as wheat, corn and canola for the production of biofuels, the field is attracting growing attention globally and in many European countries in spite of the red tape still in the way of the introduction of GM plants. Chiara Tonelli, a plant geneticist at the University of Milan, ex­plains what lies ahead for research and industry.You are working on the genomics of Arabidopsis, why is this plant so important to plant geneticists?The decoding of Arabidopsis thaliana’s genome has been the equivalent of the Human genome project. In a word it’s the mouse of plant genetics, as it’s a wonderful model organ­ism for many crop plants as it’s small, easy and fast to grow as it has a life cycle, from seed to seed, of three months. Many of the more sophisticated in­novations, which we will see in the next generations of trans­genic crops, have been discovered in this plant. Today there is great deal of potential innovation in this field but launch on the market is very slow as industry focuses on large crops such as corn and soy and changes in regulations are very slow.Plant genetics is commonly associated with the production of GMOs, still widely opposed by consumers in Europe. What are actually their applications in traditional plant breeding?Genetic engineering is just a technology use to insert genes into plants, but what is really valuable is to understand the role of genes and which are responsible for traits such as resistance to pathogens, tolerance to low or high temperatures, high salinity in the soil, drought, in order to select plants capable to grow and produce in adverse conditions or in marginal lands. Our lab has two main lines of research, one is studying the regulation of an­thocyanins, the red/blue pigments which give plants protection against environmental stresses and disease. This pigment could be used as natural food colourants to replace many artificial colours used in various foods. This improved understanding of the genetics of anthocyanins also provides a better platform for studying their antioxidant properties, important in the fight against cancer, cardiovascular disease and age­related degen­eration We have already produced a line of corn with a high concentration of anthocyanins. The second line of research is on genes conferring tolerance to environmental stress such a drought or salinity. We have identified a gene that controls the rate of water consumption in Arabidopsis domain and we have been able to cut up to 30% of water consumption through the inactivation of this gene. This innovation is potentially applica­ble in soybean, rice, corn and cotton. Transgenic technologies, involving the insertion of genes from other species into plant DNA is not the only way to use genetic information. Today we are looking at cisgenesis, namely the modification of the endog­enous plant genes, or the insertion of genes from other plants. This approach raises less concern in the public opinion. Is it possible to envisage non GM biotech crops for Europe, es-pecially for valuable but minor food crops such as toma-tos, zucchini and other vegetables typical of the Mediterranean? Yes and it would be a great advantage as for typi­cal products that are experiencing grow­ing difficulties due to viruses and other pathogens. An exam­ple is the San Mar­zano tomato developed in S o u t h e r n Italy by A g r o b i o s Metapontum but never cul­tivated because of GM­free regulations. To make a comparison with the pharmaceutical indus­tries where orphan drugs have a dedi­cated approval protocol, I believe we should have a regulation for minor crops not relevant to major industries.Even after 15 years on the market GM crops are still not com-pletely accepted by consumers, what do you think could make them more appealing?In spite of the research completed there have actually been few GM products on the market and we have still not seen much from the latest and more sophisticated research. I believe more innovative products should make it to the market with charac­teristics appealing to consumers as, for instance, higher vitamin content and pathogen resistance. An example, though poorly conveyed to the general public is Bt corn, which has a lower level of fumonisin, a cancer inducing toxin.Among the cultivated species, the grape is unusual in that it has never undergone any biologi­cal modification, except those resulting from traditional cross breeding. Biologist and entrepreneur Claudio Quarta discusses how biotech may im­prove, and actually save the wine indus­try and market from the consequences of global warming in the coming years.What kind of innovation can molecular biotechnologies bring to wine-making? When we talk about molecular bio­technologies in relation to wine and grapevine we refer to the genome and, consequently, to proteome and me­tabolome studies. The completion of the grapevine genome map enables us to improve our knowledge of various species and their evolution. It is also a useful tool for product traceabil­ity, which represents an increasingly urgent need. On the other hand the application of proteomics and metabo­lomics, will allow the evaluation of dif­ferences in various synthetic processes in the plant, allowing selection of the most favourable ones. These technologies are already applied in some Italian and for­eign labs, especially in relation to secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, carotens and aromatic substances. These methodologies will also provide us with a better understanding of the role of en­vironmental factors in determining grape features. This should enable us to select natural mutants with particular metabolic synthetic pathways. These studies may also allow us to predict the influence of the changing climate and to better select environments adapted to the cultivation of the grapevine. We will therefore be able to “protect” our most prestigious species from climate change related risks.  What are the benefits of molecular technologies in the winemaking process? The wide­spread application of non­traditional quality sensors inaugurated a new era in the innovation of the winemaking process. They are used both in the control of the winemaking process and also in check­ing the grape maturity. Instead of applying difficult analytical methods, requiring a long time and complicated tools, one will be able to evaluate the quality and quantity levels of different secondary metabolites which are crucial for the characteristics of wine. These include antocians, tannins, terpens and non­isoprenoids which are produced during the maturation process, and can be quantified with an ELISA assay. The aim is to produce a immunological analysis kit for quick and easy dosage of different metabolites before and during the winemaking process. Are these technologies already applied abroad and what im-pact can they have on the wine market? As far as I know, these techniques are still not available for practical use, not even abroad, although research has reached an advanced stage in countries such as Aus­tralia and France. In Italy, at the moment, the only research group engaged in the development of biosensors for the evalu­ation of antocian and tannin expression in red grapes is Vegetable Production Department of the University of Milan – DIPROVE, in collaboration with the biotechnology firm Areta Internation­al and my own company Magistravini. We are working within the Insubria Biopark. These new techniques will provide many small companies with analytical results which are crucial for the improvement of wine quality and which will allow bigger cellars, such as the “social” ones, which can rapidly and effectively monitor grape stocks to be used in the production of different wines according to their pheno­lic quality. Can we foresee a non-GMO food biotech in Europe, particularly in the Mediterranean re-gion, which is home to many high-quality crops?  The Mediterranean region, including Italy, features a markedly high genetic variation within its vegetable and fruit range. Species selection, characterization and conservation through molecular genetics are therefore a priority. This should allow the identification of genes are involved in various synthesis processes, the dosage of their products and the identification the metabolic pathways of neutraceutic products. We will then be able to improve Mediterranean species on the basis of the qualitiy of their substances and of their conservation properties and suitability to industrial trans­formation. The identification of disease resistance genes is equally important in order to create strong varieties and reduce the use of chemicals in agriculture. In con­clusion, I believe that Molecular Marker As­sisted Genetic Improvement techniques are the first step towards traditional genetic improvement programmes involving crossbreeding. The aim of this process is that of cre­ating new varieties which will be more suitable to the needs of the modern market and are resistant to diseases, maximizing the desired results and reducing testing times and costs. science & businessscience & businessLooking into genes to save our wineClaudio Quarta , CEO, Quarta & PartnersPlant genomics is much more than GMOsChiara Tonelli, University of Milanhttp://users.unimi.it/~tonelliOn the web:

Plant genomics is much more than GMOs

https://air.unimi.it/bitstream/2434/161086/2/2008-GMOs.pdf

Plant genomics is much more than GMOs

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