GMO Pundit a.k.a. David Tribe

Non-Sissy Uncertainty: Why I Inflict Nassim “Black Swan” Taleb on My Students | Cross-Check, Scientific American Blog Network

2012-01-31T12:02:00.001+11:00

Non-Sissy Uncertainty: Why I Inflict Nassim “Black Swan” Taleb on My Students | Cross-Check, Scientific American Blog Network:

What’s the point of the humanities? I mean, in addition to supplying jobs for humanities teachers? I am a faculty member within the College of Arts & Letters, a.k.a. CAL, of Stevens Institute of Technology, a university dedicated primarily to engineering and the hard sciences. And so naturally I and my CAL colleagues—who include professors of history, philosophy, psychology and social science as well as the literature, music and art—frequently fret over our purpose.
I think our purpose is, or should be, to sow skepticism in students’ minds, to encourage them to doubt society’s dominant belief systems, whether political, economic, religious or scientific. After all, our certainty arguably gets us into trouble more than our skepticism does. When look at our country and the rest of the world, I see fanatics, not the diffident, causing most of the mayhem. Hence I’m always on the lookout for works that can undermine my students’ faith, whatever forms it might take.

The Pundit's teachings: About Taleb infliction on students-- absolutely me too.

See also previous posts

Sensationalism can divert empathy toward wrong causes: cancer and malnutrition being the ones that suffer

Major event in the understanding of how people think.

GrainGrowers and WA Farmers team up to champion WA growers

2012-01-31T10:03:00.004+11:00

Grain Growers Limited (“GrainGrowers”) and The Western Australian Farmers Federation
(“WAFarmers”) have entered into a Heads of Agreement to better promote the interests of the state’s
grain producers.

GrainGrowers chief executive Mark Allison said the organisations in conjunction with the National
Farmers’ Federation and grower representative bodies in other states would work together to promote
the interests of grain producers across Australia.
“Western Australian growers contribute a vast amount to overall Australian grain production and
exports, so it is logical that their views and issues are represented not only locally, but also on the
national stage,” Mr Allison said.
“GrainGrowers will be working with WAFarmers to actively engage Western Australian growers and
represent their best interests to national decision makers to drive innovative policy solutions,” he said.
“Our National Quarterly Grower Consultation Forums are a key means to bring state organisations
together to discuss national issues and we look forward to strong WA input.
“We also want to provide grain producers with access to our vast technical expertise and decision
making tools that help boost farm profitability.
“For example, GrainGrowers will soon launch the latest version of ProductionWise, our flagship
program that seamlessly integrates a range of information from historical satellite and climatic data to
seasonal rain forecasts.
“It has been years in the making and is the only system of its kind in the world,” he said.
The agreement with WAFarmers followed GrainGrowers’ recent annual general meeting, where more
than 90 per cent of growers voted in favour of expanding the not-for-profit organisation’s national
footprint to include Western Australia and South Australia.
WAFarmers president Mike Norton said, “The partnership with GrainGrowers and our respective
memberships of NFF will deliver many benefits to WA grain growers.
“WAFarmers have represented local growers for 100 years so we look forward to sharing our
knowledge and insights,” he said.
“Following deregulation and the demise of the Grains Council of Australia there has been a void in
national representation for the grains industry and it is about time we had a well-resourced national
grain grower organisation that will listen to our concerns and represent our interests,” he said.
GrainGrowers is Australia’s national, independent, member-based, financially sustainable, technically
resourced, grain producer organisation. Membership is open to all Australian grain producers and is
free until 30 June 2012.

Natural GMOs Part 122. The purple tomato debuts as ‘Indigo Rose’ |

2012-01-31T08:35:00.000+11:00

Purple tomato debuts as ‘Indigo Rose’ | Northwest Gardening - OSU Extension Service:

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The "Indigo Rose" tomato steps out this year as the first "really" purple variety to come from a program at Oregon State University that is seeking to breed tomatoes with high levels of antioxidants.
The new variety is a novelty type intended for home gardens and the fresh market, and it is now available in seed catalogs, said Jim Myers, a professor in the OSU horticulture department.
"It is the first improved tomato variety in the world that has anthocyanins in its fruit," he said.
Breeding for the antioxidant potential of the purple anthocyanins in the fruit is the most important goal for OSU breeders. "It will lead to a better understanding on how the antioxidants express in tomatoes and may contribute to human health," Myers said.
"If you want a really, really purple tomato that can be as black as an eggplant, give Indigo Rose a try," Myers said. "Other so-called purple and black tomatoes have the green flesh gene, which prevents normal chlorophyll breakdown. A brown pigment called pheophytin accumulates and has a brownish color that makes a muddy purple when combined with carotenoids."
Anthocyanins are in the class of flavonoids – compounds found in fruits, vegetables and beverages – that have aroused interest because of their potential health benefits. "They have many varied effects on human health, but while they are powerful antioxidants in the test tube, we don’t really know whether they have an antioxidant effect in the human body."
Indigo Rose's genesis began in the 1960s, when two breeders – one from Bulgaria and the other from the United States – first crossed-cultivated tomatoes with wild species from Chile and the Galapagos Islands, Myers said. Some wild tomato species have anthocyanins in their fruit, and until now, tomatoes grown in home gardens have had the beneficial pigment only in their leaves and stems, which are inedible.
Graduate students working with Myers crossed together the lines carrying wild tomato species genes to create the population from which ‘Indigo Rose’ was selected....continues at link

GMO commentator Frank. N. Foode has noted on Twitter how this conventionally bred fruit escapes the scrutiny given to purple anthocyanin rich tomatoes developed by genetic engineering. It is doubtful that the conventionally bred purple tommies are any safer than surgically constructed and vigorously tested GE varieties, as they will have many more uncharacterised new genes.

PLoS ONE: Fate of Transgenic DNA from Orally Administered Bt MON810 Maize and Effects on Immune Response and Growth in Pigs

2012-01-30T15:05:00.000+11:00

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Fate of Transgenic DNA from Orally Administered Bt MON810 Maize and Effects on Immune Response and Growth in Pigs

Maria C. Walsh¹, Stefan G. Buzoianu¹^,², Gillian E. Gardiner²,Mary C. Rea³, Eva Gelencsér⁴, Anna Jánosi⁴, Michelle M. Epstein⁵, R. Paul Ross³, Peadar G. Lawlor¹^*

1 Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland, 2 Department of Chemical and Life Sciences, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland, 3 Teagasc, Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland, 4Department of Biology, Central Food Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary,5 Division of Immunobiology, Institute of Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Abstract Top

We assessed the effect of short-term feeding of genetically modified (GM: Bt MON810) maize on immune responses and growth in weanling pigs and determined the fate of the transgenic DNA and protein in-vivo. Pigs were fed a diet containing 38.9% GM or non-GM isogenic parent line maize for 31 days. We observed that IL-12 and IFNγ production from mitogenic stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells decreased (P<0.10) following 31 days of GM maize exposure. While Cry1Ab-specific IgG and IgA were not detected in the plasma of GM maize-fed pigs, the detection of the cry1Ab gene and protein was limited to the gastrointestinal digesta and was not found in the kidneys, liver, spleen, muscle, heart or blood. Feeding GM maize to weanling pigs had no effect on growth performance or body weight. IL-6 and IL-4 production from isolated splenocytes were increased (P<0.05) in response to feeding GM maize while the proportion of CD4⁺ T cells in the spleen decreased. In the ileum, the proportion of B cells and macrophages decreased while the proportion of CD4⁺ T cells increased in GM maize-fed pigs. IL-8 and IL-4 production from isolated intraepithelial and lamina propria lymphocytes were also increased (P<0.05) in response to feeding GM maize. In conclusion, there was no evidence ofcry1Ab gene or protein translocation to the organs and blood of weaning pigs. The growth of pigs was not affected by feeding GM maize. Alterations in immune responses were detected; however, their biologic relevance is questionable.

Citation: Walsh MC, Buzoianu SG, Gardiner GE, Rea MC, Gelencsér E, et al. (2011) Fate of Transgenic DNA from Orally Administered Bt MON810 Maize and Effects on Immune Response and Growth in Pigs. PLoS ONE 6(11): e27177. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177

Editor: Alejandra Bravo, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Mexico

Received: May 30, 2011; Accepted: October 11, 2011; Published: November 23, 2011

Copyright: © 2011 Walsh et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Funding: The research leading to these results received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 211820 and the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship programme and independently of any commercial input, financial or otherwise. The authors have no financial or personal conflict of interest in regard to the present study. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

* E-mail: peadar.lawlor@teagasc.ie

Introduction Top

Worldwide, the inclusion of genetically modified (GM) plants in animal feed and for human consumption has consistently increased over the past fifteen years since they were first cultivated in 1996 [1]. The increase in demand for GM ingredients has coincided with an 87-fold increase in cultivation area of GM crops reaching 148 million hectares worldwide in 2010 thus making the procurement of exclusively non-GM crops more difficult and expensive. In 2007, GM maize became the second most important biotech crop after GM soybeans [2] and the first one to have a wider variety of genetic modifications than glyphosate-tolerant soybean.

GM plants are designed to provide more nutritious food and to enhance agronomic productivity without the use of pesticides [3], [4]. However, the increased usage of GM crops for direct human consumption and feeding to meat- and milk-producing animals has lead to public concern. Consumer concerns are mostly related to a perceived risk to health, allergenicity of the transgenic proteins or the transfer of recombinant DNA from feed to livestock and livestock derived products that are consumed by humans [5]. Other concerns are associated with environmental issues such as gene transfer from GM crops to indigenous plants, reducing biodiversity and influence of the GM crops on non-target species [6], [7], [8], [9]. Adoption of GM technology has received varying degrees of support worldwide. However, much greater resistance to food biotechnology exists in Europe compared to other parts of the world [10].

The entry of GM plants into the food chain is highly regulated, particularly within the European Union where rigorous pre-market risk assessment is untaken to ensure the safety of GM plants for animal and human consumption. Numerous animal studies have focused on evaluating the risks of feeding Bt maize on health and growth parameters and no abnormalities have been identified [3], [11], [12],[13], [14], [15], [16]. However, some studies have found alterations in the immune response of mice fed Bt maize [17] and peas expressing the bean α-amylase inhibitor [18]. To date, the Cry1Ab protein has been proven safe in most animal studies. The transgenic protein has no homology to any allergenic proteins and was successfully degraded in simulated gastric conditions [19].

To fully address safety concerns related to GM feed ingredients, studies to determine the fate of ingested recombinant DNA fragments in animals have also been conducted. Many of these animal studies have failed to observe translocation of recombinant DNA fragments outside the GIT [20], [21],[22] although in some studies, low levels of recombinant DNA have been documented in the organs of pigs [23], [24].

The objectives of the experiments outlined in this paper were to evaluate both the intestinal and peripheral immune response in pigs in response to short-term GM maize exposure previously only conducted in mice. A further objective was to determine the fate of ingested recombinant DNA and protein in pigs thus allowing a clearer assessment of the safety of GM maize to be made.

Methods Top

1. Ethics statement

The pig experiments described below complied with European Union Council Directive 91/630/EEC (outlines minimum standards for the protection of pigs) and European Union Council Directives 98/58/EC (concerns the protection of animals kept for farming purposes) and was approved by, and a license obtained from, the Irish Department of Health and Children (licence number B100/4147). Ethical approval was obtained from the Teagasc and Waterford Institute of Technology ethics committees.

2. Genetically modified maize

Seeds derived from MON810 and its parental control maize (PR34N44 and PR34N43 varieties, respectively: Pioneer Hi-Bred, Sevilla, Spain) were grown simultaneously side by side in Valtierra, Navarra, Spain by independent tillage farmers. The GM and isogenic control maize were purchased by the authors from the tillage farmers for use in this animal study.

3. Animal housing, diets and management

Two experiments were conducted to assess the effect of short-term feeding of Bt (MON810) maize on the peripheral and systemic immune response in weanling pigs and to determine the fate of transgenic DNA in-vivo.

3.1 Expt.1.

Thirty-two crossbred (Large White×Landrace) weanling pigs (entire males) were weaned at approximately 28 days of age and were blocked by weight and litter, and randomly assigned to one of two experimental treatments; (1) non-GM isogenic parent line of maize (Pioneer PR34N43) and (2) GM maize (Pioneer PR34N44 event MON810). A non-GM starter diet was fed ad libitum for the first 6 days post-weaning during an acclimatization period and either the non-GM or GM maize experimental diets were fed for the remaining 31 days. Diets were manufactured in the Moorepark feed mill and were formulated to meet or exceed the NRC [25] requirements for weanling pigs (Table 1). Stringent quality control measures were employed to avoid cross contamination of non-GM with GM diets. Carryover in the feed manufacturing system was minimized by flushing the system with non-GM ingredients and the preparation of non-GM diets prior to diets containing the GM maize. In addition non-GM soybean meal was used in the manufacture of all diets. Cereals were ground by hammer mill through a 3 mm screen before mixing. Diets were pelleted to 5 mm diameter after steam conditioning to 50–55°C. The GM and non-GM maize were tested for the presence of the cry1Ab gene, pesticide contaminants and mycotoxins as described by Walsh et al. [26]. Proximate, (FBA Laboratories, Waterford, Ireland) amino acid and carbohydrate analysis (Sciantec Analytical Services Ltd., Cawood, UK) of experimental diets was performed (Table 1).

Table 1. Composition of acclimatization starter diet and experimental diets (as is basis, %)¹^{, 2}.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177.t001

Pigs were housed individually in a total of four rooms with eight pigs per room (16 pigs/treatment). Pigs were individually penned in fully slatted pens (1.07 m×0.6 m) with plastic slats (Faroex, Manitoba, Canada). Pigs had unlimited access to water and feed through a single bowl drinker fitted in each pen and a door-mounted stainless steel feed trough (410 mm long) with centre divider, respectively. Heat was provided by a wall mounted thermostatically controlled electric bar heater (Irish Dairy Services, Portlaoise, Ireland). The rooms were naturally ventilated with an air inlet in the door and exhaust by way of a roof mounted chimney. Temperature was maintained at 28–30^oC in the first week and reduced by 2^oC per week to 22^oC in the fourth week. Lighting was provided by tubular fluorescent lights from 0830 h to 1630 h. Pigs were observed closely at least three times daily. Any pigs showing signs of ill health were treated as appropriate.

3.2 Expt.2.

A second experiment was conducted to examine the effects of short-term exposure to GM maize on local immune response of weanling pigs. Pigs (n = 20) were weaned at approximately 28 days of age and were blocked by weight and litter, and randomly assigned to one of two experimental treatments; (1) non-GM isogenic parent line of maize (Pioneer PR34N43) and (2) GM maize (Pioneer PR34N44 event MON810) similar to pigs in Expt. 1. Pigs were fed experimental starter diets from day 0 to 7 post-weaning and experimental link diets from day 7 to 35 post-weaning (Table 1). Pigs were penned individually in the same room for the duration of the experiment (35 days). Pens were fully slatted (1.2 m×0.9 m) with plastic slats (Faroex, Manitoba, Canada) and plastic dividers between pens. Water was available ad libitum from one nipple-in-bowl drinkers (BALP, Charleville-Mezieres, Cedex, France) per pen. Feed was also available ad libitum from a single stainless steel feeder 30 cm wide (O'Donovan Engineering, Coachford, Co. Cork). Environmental condition control and management of pigs was conducted in a same manner as outlined for Expt. 1.

4. Intestinal, organ and blood sampling

Expt. 1.

On day 31, 10 pigs/treatment were sacrificed by captive bolt stunning followed by exsanguination. The last meal was administered 3 h prior to sacrifice. During the sampling procedure, special care was taken to prevent any cross contamination between the GM and non-GM maize-fed pigs. All non-GM maize-fed pigs were sacrificed first followed by the GM maize-fed pigs. All surgical instruments were cleaned with a 70% ethanol solution between each animal. During the sampling procedure, all assistants wore single-use gloves that were replaced after each sample was taken. The heart, liver, spleen, kidneys and a sample of the semi-tendinosus muscle were removed first, to prevent contamination with digesta contents, followed by the entire GIT. Whole blood samples were taken from the anterior vena cava of 10 pigs per treatment and collected in heparinised blood collection tubes (BD Vacutainer Systems, Franklin Lakes, NJ) on day 0 and 29. Samples were stored at room temperature and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated and assayed within 30 h. Blood samples were also taken at slaughter (day 31) and collected in EDTA-containing tubes (BD Vacutainer Systems) and immediately placed on ice for transport to the laboratory. Blood samples were centrifuged at 2500×g for 20 min after which the buffy coat of white blood cells was removed and stored at −20^oC for subsequent analysis for the cry1Ab gene. Plasma from these samples was stored at −20^oC for subsequent Cry1Ab-specific Ig analysis. The heart, liver, kidneys and spleen were removed, trimmed of any superficial fat or blood clots. The outermost layer of each tissue was removed to ensure that samples were taken from interior sections to prevent any residues of feed causing contamination of the samples. Samples were taken from the liver (distal end centre of central lobe), kidney (middle of the kidney cortex and medulla), spleen (anterior end of spleen), heart (left ventricle wall) and semi-tendinosus muscle and snap frozen in liquid N and stored at −20^oC for subsequent analysis of the Cry1Ab protein and gene. Digesta samples from the stomach, ileum, cecum and cecal samples were stored at −20^oC for subsequent analysis of the cry1Ab gene and protein.

Expt. 2.

On day 35, 10 pigs/treatment were sacrificed (as outlined in Expt. 1) and spleen samples were taken (anterior end) and placed on ice in Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS; Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) for splenocyte isolation. Ileal samples (15 cm distal to the ileo-cecal junction) were taken and placed on ice in HBSS (Sigma-Aldrich) for subsequent lamina propria and intraepithelial lymphocyte isolation.

5. Growth

Expt. 2.

Individual body weight and feed disappearance were recorded on day 0, and 30 of the experiment for calculation of growth performance.

6. Evaluation of the immune response to oral administration of Bt MON810 maize in pigs

6.1 Isolation and stimulation of PBMC and cytokine measurement.

Isolation of PBMC from whole blood was conducted as described by Walsh et al. [27]. Stimulation of PBMC was performed with phosphate buffered saline (PBS), or a combination of 25 ng/µL phorbol myristate acetate (PMA; Sigma-Aldrich) and 2 mg/mL ionomycin (I; Sigma-Aldrich) for 18 h at 37^oC in a 5% (v/v) CO₂ humidified atmosphere. Following stimulation, the cell culture supernatant was collected and stored at −80^oC. Concentrations of IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, TNFα and IFNγ were subsequently determined in these supernatants using porcine-specific cytokine ELISA kits (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN) in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Samples were analyzed in duplicate on each plate. Duplicate samples with intra-assay precision (CV%) of greater than 10% underwent repeat analysis.

6.2 Isolation and stimulation of lamina propria and intraepithelial lymphocytes and splenocytes and measurement of cytokine production.

Lamina propria lymphocytes (LPL) and intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) were isolated from porcine ileum tissue samples collected at sacrifice on day 35, as described for human LPL and IEL [28]. For isolation of splenocytes, ~10 g of spleen was pressed through a 50-mesh screen (Sigma-Aldrich). Remaining cells were washed through with HBSS containing 2% heat inactivated fetal bovine serum (HBSS-FBS; Invitrogen, Paisley, UK). The cells were pelleted at 200×g for 10 min and re-suspended in HBSS-FBS. Erythrocytes were lysed with lysing buffer (BD Biosciences, Devon, UK) according to manufacturer's instructions. Cells were pelleted at 200 × g for 10 min and re-suspended in HBSS-FBS. The cell suspension was filtered through a sterile 70 µm nylon cell strainer (BD Biosciences) and centrifuged for 10 min at 275 × g. The cell pellet was re-suspended in 30% Percoll (Sigma-Aldrich; diluted with 0.9% NaCl) and layered over a 70% Percoll solution. The above gradient separation solution following centrifugation for 20 min at 1230×g yielded a population of mononuclear cells at its interface. Cells were recovered and washed twice in HBSS-FBS by centrifugation at 360×g for 10 min. Both LPL/IEL and splenocytes were counted and re-suspended in complete medium [IMDM + Glutamax (Invitrogen), 20% FBS, 100 U/mL penicillin, 100 µg/mL streptomycin (Invitrogen) at a concentration of 1×10⁶ cells/mL and dispensed into 24 well plates (Sarstedt, Numbrecht, Germany). Stimulation of LPL, IEL and splenocytes was performed and the cell supernatants collected and stored as outlined above for PBMC. Concentrations of IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα were subsequently determined in the cell supernatants using multiplex porcine-specific cytokine ELISA kits (Meso Scale Discovery, Gaithersburg, Maryland) in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Samples were analyzed in duplicate on each plate. Duplicate samples with intra-assay precision (CV%) of greater than 10% underwent repeat analysis.

6.3 Immune cell phenotyping.

Following stimulation, LPL/IEL and splenocytes were resuspended at ~1×10⁶ cells/mL in PBS containing 2% FBS (PBS-FBS). Primary and secondary antibodies were added at concentrations determined by titration and incubated in the dark at room temperature for 15 min. Cells were washed and re-suspended in PBS-FBS and acquired using a BD FACSCanto II^TM flow cytometer. Antibodies used included anti-porcine CD3 PE/Cy5 (Abcam, Cambridge, UK), anti-porcine CD4 fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), anti-porcine CD8 phycoerythrin (PE), anti-porcine macrophage FITC (Abd Serotec, Kidlington, UK), anti-porcine CD3 (Abcam), anti-mouse IgG1 peridinin chorolphyll protein (PerCP; Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, CA), anti-porcine CD45 (Abd Serotec), anti-porcine B cell marker PE (Abcam), anti-mouse IgG1 allophycocyanin (APC), anti-porcine γδ T cell, anti-rat IgG2a APC, anti-rat CD16/CD32 and anti-mouse CD32 (all antibodies were obtained from BD Biosciences, Devon, UK unless otherwise stated). Antibodies were used according to manufacturer's recommendations. The percentages of T and B lymphocytes and macrophages were calculated on leukocyte (CD45⁺) gate, whereas CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD4⁺/CD8⁺ and γδ T cell subsets were calculated on CD3⁺ gate. At least 50,000 events were acquired and analyzed. Data was analyzed using FACSDIVA software (BD Biosciences).

6.4 Cry1Ab-specific antibody response.

For detection of Cry1Ab specific IgA and IgG in pig plasma, 96-well plates were coated overnight at 4^oC with 1 µg/mL of purified Cry1Ab toxin in 0.05 M carbonate-bicarbonate buffer (pH 9.6). Plates were blocked for 1 h at 37^oC with 0.01 M phosphate buffered saline (PBS), pH 7.4, containing 1% gelatine (Sigma-Aldrich). PBS alone or serial dilutions (from 1:5 to 1:640) of pig plasma from GM maize, non-GM maize or non-maize (control) exposed pigs were added to the plate and incubated for 1 h at 37^oC. Plates were then incubated with horse radish peroxidase (HRP)-labelled anti-pig IgA or IgG (1:5000; Bethyl laboratories, Montgomery, TX) antibodies for 1 h at 37^oC followed by the addition of H₂O₂/o-phenylenediamine containing PPD Fast substrate solution pH 5 (Sigma-Aldrich). The plates were developed for 5 min in the dark and the enzyme reaction was stopped by the addition of 4 M H₂SO₄. The absorbance was read at 492/630 nm (Dynatech MR 7000, Dynatech Laboratories Ltd., UK). Plasma from non-GM maize exposed pigs was used as a negative control. Plasma from non-maize fed pigs was used as a control to ensure no cross-reactivity with other maize proteins. Samples were analyzed in duplicate and the washing procedure repeated after each step involved manually washing the plates twice with PBS containing 1% gelatine and decanting.

7. Tracking of the Cry1Ab protein and gene in feed and porcine digesta, organs and blood

7.1 Cry1Ab protein quantification.

Digesta samples were centrifuged for 15 min at 540×g and 10 µL of 10 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) was added per mL of supernatant and samples were centrifuged for 20 min at 9390×g. Ten microlitres of 10 mM PMSF and 10 µL of 1% sodium azide were added per mL of supernatant, followed by 50 µL of bovine serum albumin (BSA) 15 min later. The samples were centrifuged for 20 min at 9390×g and the resultant supernatant was analyzed for the Cry1Ab protein using a QuantiPlate kit for Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac (Envirologix, Maines, USA) according to the manufacturer's instructions.

7.2 DNA extraction.

Feed and digesta samples

Milled feed or digesta (250 mg) was incubated in 1000 µL TRIS-EDTA-SDS extraction buffer (pH 8.0) for 1 h at 65°C. Following incubation, the suspension was cooled and 60 mg polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and 500 µL 7.5 M ammonium acetate were added. This was incubated for 30 min on ice followed by centrifugation for 10 min at 14430×g. The supernatant was collected, combined with 1 mL isopropanol and incubated for 30 min on ice. Samples were centrifuged (10 min at 14430×g) and the supernatant was discarded. The remaining DNA pellet was washed with 70% ethanol and was resuspended in 50 µL TE buffer.

Animal tissue

DNA was extracted from animal tissue as described by Meyer et al. [29]. The supernatant (500 µL) was purified using the Wizard® DNA Clean-up system (Promega, Madison, WI) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Total DNA was quantified using a spectrophotometer (UV-1601 spectrophotometer, Shimadzu) at OD_{260 nm} and purity was assessed by determining the OD_{260 nm}:OD_{280 nm}.

White blood cells

DNA was extracted from 10 µL of buffy coat isolated from blood samples using an Extract-N-Amp Blood PCR kit (Sigma-Aldrich) according to the manufacturer's instructions.

7.3 PCR.

A preliminary cross-dilution assay was performed to determine the detection limit of thecry1Ab-specific PCR and the possible inhibitory effect of porcine DNA. Three primer pairs targeting an endogenous maize gene, the cry1Ab gene and a porcine growth hormone gene, respectively (Table 2) were obtained from Invitrogen (Paisley, UK). Two microlitres of extracted DNA was used in PCR amplifications which were performed in a final volume of 50 µL. Each PCR reaction contained 25 µL of either REDTaq ReadyMix PCR Reaction Mix containing MgCl₂ (Sigma-Aldrich) (for white blood cells) or DreamTaq Green PCR Master Mix (Fermentas, Ontario, Canada) (for tissue samples and digesta), as well as 0.01, 0.004 or 0.006 µM of the SW, cry1Ab or Sh2 primers, respectively and 2 µL of extracted DNA. PCR reactions were performed in a GeneAmp 2400 or 2700 thermal cycler (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA). The PCR conditions used are outlined in Table 3. Each set of PCR reactions included a positive control (DNA from MON810 maize), DNA from isogenic non-GM maize, contamination controls without template DNA, and a negative extraction control (DNA from normal pig meat). PCR products were analyzed on 10% polyacrylamide gels run at 200 V for 50 min and visualized by SYBR Green-staining.

Table 2. Primers used in PCR reactions for the detection of three target sequences in porcine organ, white blood cell and digesta samples.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177.t002

Table 3. The effects of feeding GM maize or non-GM maize with or without mitogenic stimulation on cytokine production from porcine isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (Expt. 1), splenocytes and lamina propria and intraepithelial lymphocytes (Expt. 2) ¹^{, 2}.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177.t003

8. Statistical analysis

All data were analyzed as a complete randomized block design using the GLM procedures of SAS [30]. For all response criteria, the individual pig was the experimental unit. Treatment effect was tested against residual error term with initial bodyweight as a blocking factor. Growth performance data were analyzed as a one-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the GLM procedure of SAS. Cytokine production data was analyzed as a two-factor ANOVA with interactions to determine if differences in cytokine production varied with diet and mitogenic stimulation. Baseline cytokine levels (day 0) were also used as covariates in the model. The level of significance for all tests was P<0.05. Trends were reported up to P = 0.10.

Results Top

1. Analysis of GM and non-GM maize for the cry1Ab gene, mycotoxins and pesticide residues

The GM maize was found to have >5% event-specific cry1Ab gene insert. However, the non-GM maize was also found to have 0.20% event specific cry1Ab gene insert. The cry1Ab gene was also detected in the GM maize but was not found in the non-GM maize analyzed (Fig. 1) which indicates that the level of cry1Ab gene contamination of the non-GM maize was too low to be detected by non-quantitative PCR. Conventional feed ingredients containing unintentional traces of genetically modified organisms below a threshold level of 0.9% of total DNA are not required to be labelled as GM [19]. The levels of all mycotoxins detected in the GM and non-GM maize were below the maximum allowable levels as, outlined in EU legislation (Commission Regulation (EC) No 576/2006). The GM and non-GM maize were also negative for all pesticide residues tested.

Figure 1. Fate of transgenic DNA from orally administered Bt MON810 maize in pigs.

PCR products from liver samples of 10 pigs (Expt. 1) fed either GM maize (G) or control maize (C), for each of the target gene fragments; (a) cry1Ab, (b) SW (endogenous porcine) and (C) Sh2(endogenous maize). Arrows indicate the expected size of PCR products. Reactions without template DNA (no DNA) and with purified genomic DNA from MON810 maize and isogenic parent line maize were included as controls. A DNA isolation control which did not contain any sample material was also used. M = molecular weight marker.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177.g001

2. Expt.1. Effect of short-term feeding of GM maize on the systemic immune response

Mitogenic stimulation resulted in a significant (P<0.05) increase in the production of IL-10, IL-6, IL-4 and TNFα by PBMC (Table 3). There was a tendency for a treatment×PMA/I interaction for IL-12 (P = 0.09) and IFNγ (P = 0.08) production from isolated PBMC. Both IL-12 and IFNγ production by isolated PBMC tended to be reduced following PMA/I stimulation in pigs fed GM maize compared to non-GM maize-fed control pigs following 29 days of feeding. In addition, Cry1Ab-specific IgG (Fig. 2) or IgA (Fig. 3) were not detected in plasma taken from pigs fed either the GM or non-GM maize or non-maize feed (control) even at the lowest dilution used.

Figure 2. Effect of feeding non-GM maize (♦), GM maize (□) or non-maize feed (▴) to pigs for 31 days on plasma concentration of Cry1Ab specific IgG antibody (Expt. 1).

Cry1Ab specific IgG antibody was not detected in any of the samples assayed.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177.g002

Figure 3. Effect of feeding non-GM maize (♦), GM maize (□) or non-maize feed (▴) to pigs for 31 days on plasma concentration of Cry1Ab specific IgA antibody (Expt. 1).

Cry1Ab specific IgA antibody was not detected in any of the samples assayed.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177.g003

3. Detection of transgenic and endogenous plant genes in white blood cells, tissues and digesta of GM maize-fed pigs

Neither endogenous (Sh2) nor transgenic (cry1Ab) plant gene fragments were detected in the white blood cells or any of the tissues examined (Table 4). However, as expected all the white blood cells and tissue samples were positive for the endogenous (SW) porcine gene. PCR analysis of liver samples is shown in Figure 1 as an example. The endogenous porcine gene was also detected at a relatively high frequency in digesta along the length of the GIT in both the non-GM maize and GM maize-fed pigs (stomach, 100%; ileum, 80 and 70%; cecum, 60 and 70%; colon, 100 and 90%, respectively). The endogenous plant gene was detected in all stomach digesta samples taken from both the GM and non-GM maize-fed pigs, while the cry1Ab gene was only detected in the stomach digesta of pigs fed the GM maize diets (Table 5). Further down the GIT, the endogenous maize gene was detected in the ileal digesta of 50% of the non-GM maize-fed pigs and 20% of the GM maize-fed pigs, in the cecal digesta of 10% of each treatment group and was undetectable in colon samples. Thecry1Ab gene was also detected in the lower gastrointestinal tract of GM maize-fed pigs, but only in the ileal and cecal digesta (20% and 10%, respectively) and at a lower frequency than in the stomach digesta. The cry1Ab gene was not detected in colon samples from either GM maize or non-GM maize-fed pigs.

Table 4. Detection of endogenous maize and porcine genes and transgenic cry1Ab gene in tissue and white blood cells of pigs fed GM maize versus pigs fed a non-GM maize diet for 31 days (Expt. 1)¹.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177.t004

Table 5. Detection of endogenous maize and porcine genes and transgenic cry1Ab gene in stomach, ileal and cecal digesta and colon samples of pigs fed GM maize versus pigs fed a non-GM maize diet for 31 days (Expt. 1)¹.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177.t005

4. Transgenic Cry1Ab protein detection in plasma, tissue and digesta of GM maize-fed pigs

The Cry1Ab protein was not detected in the heart, liver, kidney, spleen, muscle or plasma of pigs fed either GM maize or non-GM maize diets (Table 6). Likewise, no transgenic protein was detected in the stomach, ileum, cecum or colon digesta of pigs fed non-GM maize diets. The Cry1Ab protein was, however, detected in the stomach and cecal digesta of 30% of the GM maize-fed pigs 3 h after the last GM maize meal was administered and in the colon and ileal digesta of 80% of these pigs. The concentration of Cry1Ab protein detected in the digesta samples of GM maize-fed pigs was very low and ranged from 2.41 – 2.74 ng/mL.

Table 6. Detection of the transgenic Cry1Ab protein in tissue, plasma and gastrointestinal digesta of pigs fed GM and non-GM maize.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177.t006

5. Expt. 2. Effect of feeding GM maize on body weight and growth performance

There was no effect of feeding GM maize to pigs on growth performance or body weight (Table 7).

Table 7. The effects of feeding GM or non-GM maize for 35 days on weanling pig growth performance (Expt. 2)¹.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177.t007

6. Effect of short-term feeding of GM maize on the local immune response

Short-term feeding of GM maize to pigs resulted in increased IL-6 and IL-4 production from isolated splenocytes (P<0.05) and increased IL-8 and IL-4 production from isolated LPL and IEL (P<0.05; Table 3) compared to non-GM maize-fed pigs. There was no effect of treatment on TNFα production from splenocytes or LPL/IEL or on IL-8 production from splenocytes or IL-6 production from LPL/IEL. Phorbol myristate acetate/ionomycin stimulation resulted in a significant (P<0.05) increase in production of IL-8, IL-6 and TNFα by splenocytes and LPL/IEL while IL-4 production was increased by mitogen stimulation in the spleen but not the ileum. Local immune responses were also assessed by phenotyping leukocytes isolated from spleen and ileum. Short-term feeding of GM maize to pigs resulted in a lower proportion of ileal B cells and macrophages than in non-GM maize-fed pigs (P = 0.001; Fig. 4). There was no effect of treatment on the proportion of CD8⁺ T cells, CD4⁺CD8⁺ T cells or γδ T cells isolated from the ileum. However, the proportion of CD4⁺ T cells increased in response to feeding GM maize (P = 0.01). The number of CD4⁺ T cells as a proportion of the total splenocyte population tended to decrease (P = 0.06; Fig. 5) in response to short-term feeding of GM maize to pigs. There was no effect of feeding GM maize on the numbers of B cells, macrophages, CD8⁺ T cells, double positive CD4⁺CD8⁺ T cells and γδ T cells isolated from the spleen.

Figure 4. Changes in the proportion of different leukocyte populations in the ileum of pigs fed non-GM (□) or GM (▪) maize for a period of 35 days (Expt. 2).

Mean values±SEM were calculated as a percentage of the total lamina propria and intra-epithelial lymphocyte populations. * Significance at P<0.01.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177.g004

Figure 5. Changes in the proportion of different leukocytes populations in the spleen of pigs fed non-GM (□) or GM (▪) maize for a period of 35 days (Expt. 2).

Mean values±SEM were calculated as a percentage of the total splenocyte population. †Tendency for a significance at P<0.10.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027177.g005

Discussion Top

Previously, a study with mice reported alterations in both the local and systemic immune systems in response to feeding Bt (MON810) maize for 30 days post-weaning [17]. Several disturbances in lymphocyte subsets at gut and peripheral sites were documented in this study. We observed a similar decrease in CD4⁺ T cells and B cells in the spleen and ileum, respectively, when Bt (MON810) maize was feed to weanling pigs for 35 days post-weaning (Expt. 2). However, an increase in CD4⁺ T cell subsets within the porcine ileal lymphocyte population in Expt. 2 was contrary to findings in mice [17]and unlike the results with mice, we also found a reduction in porcine ileal macrophages in response to feeding Bt (MON810) maize. The implications of the alterations in CD4⁺ T cells, B cells and macrophages in the ileum and CD4⁺ T cell in the spleen have yet to be explained. However, work by Murtaugh et al. [31] in pigs found evidence of an anti-proliferative effect of IL-4 on B-cells. Interleukin-4 production from cultured ileal lymphocytes was elevated in GM maize-fed pigs (Expt. 2) and this may account for the observed reduction in B-cells. While GM exposure also increased IL-4 production in the spleen in Expt. 2, there was no effect on B cell populations indicating a potential site-specific effect of IL-4. Previous work found that IL-6 and IL-4 play a major role in mediating B-cell activation and antibody production [32]. Interleukin-6 is also known to antagonize the IL-12/IFNγ mediated differentiation of naïve T cells towards a Th1 inflammatory type response in favor of the Th2 humoral immune response. In Expt. 2, the production of IL-6 and IL-4 from cultured splenocytes and IL-4 from ileal lymphocytes was increased in GM maize-fed pigs and results from Expt. 1 showed a decrease in IL-12 and IFNγ from cultured PBMC. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and IL-4 are known to be involved in allergic and inflammatory responses [32]. However, the increase in antigen-specific IgA and IgG that accompanies a Th2-mediated allergic inflammatory response [33] was notably absent in Expt. 1 which indicates that feeding GM maize did not elicit an allergenic response. Adel-Patient et al.[34]also reported finding no specific anti-Cry1Ab antibody in serum from mice given MON810 maize after either i.g or i.p sensitization. The basal concentration of both IL-12 and IFNγ from resting PBMC (no PMA/I stimulation) isolated from non-GM maize-fed pigs was greater than similar cytokine concentrations in GM maize-fed pigs. By nature of the transgene insertion, GM maize is protected from insect damage and may as a result contain less endotoxins than its non-GM maize counterpart. The potentially greater exposure to endotoxins from feeding non-GM maize may account for the elevated Th1 profile of cytokines evident in both resting and stimulated PBMC isolated from pigs fed non-GM maize. Therefore, feeding GM maize to pigs may protect against a systemic inflammatory response characterized by an elevated Th1 cytokine profile.

The increase in cytokine production from cultured cells in Expt. 2, while statistically significant was numerically small and unlikely to be of biological relevance. These findings together with the lack of Cry1Ab-specific antibody production in blood make the development of a Th2-mediated allergic response highly unlikely. Overall, the findings from the two experiments suggest that some GM maize-induced systemic and local immune alterations are occurring in the weaned pig. The Cry1Ab protein, which was found in the majority of small intestinal digesta samples from GM maize-fed pigs (Expt. 1), has been shown to lack homology with known allergens and is not at risk of causing allergenic cross-reactivity [35]. The presence of the Cry1Ab protein in the GIT of GM maize-fed pigs is the only measured difference between these pigs and the control pigs. Therefore, the non-allergenic alterations observed in the immune response of GM maize-fed pigs most likely are attributed to the Cry1Ab protein and in some cases feeding GM maize may prevent a systemic Th1 inflammatory response.

One of the main consumer concerns with the use of GM foods is transfer of the transgenic DNA to human tissues or to animal products such as meat. Numerous animal studies have been conducted in which transgenic DNA has not been detected in food products derived from animals fed GM feed ingredients [20], [21], [22], [36], [37]. However, the transfer of endogenous plant DNA across the gut barrier is a natural phenomenon, as it has been detected in both animal tissue and products [24],[36], [38]. Previously, Sharma et al. [23] detected a 278 bp fragment of the cp4epsps transgene found in Round-Up Ready canola in the liver and kidney of swine. However, only one liver and one kidney sample out of 36 samples tested were positive for the transgenic DNA fragment. Likewise, a 519 bp fragment of cry1Ab was detected in the blood, liver, kidney, and spleen of piglets following 35 days of administration of Bt (MON810) maize [24]. However, the intact cry1Ab gene (3500 bp) or the genes smallest functional unit (1800 bp) was never detected. In Expt. 1, the target cry1Ab gene fragment (211 bp) was not detected in the white blood cells, heart, liver, spleen, kidney or muscle of pigs fed GM maize for 31 days. While much emphasis has been placed on minimizing potential cross-contamination between animals fed GM feed ingredients and controls in other studies, transgenes have been detected in tissue [23], [24]. However in Expt.1, no cross-contamination occurred and thecry1Ab gene was not detected in tissues or blood and this may question the effectiveness of contamination preventative measures used in previous studies where transgenes were found in tissues. Furthermore, findings from Expt. 1 demonstrate a lack of transfer of endogenous plant DNA across the gut barrier into organs and blood. The frequency of gene detection is dependent on copy number of the genes ingested. In Expt. 1, the Sh2 gene was used as a control to compare the behavior of a single copy gene to that of the single copy cry1Ab gene. In some cases, the multiple copy Rubisco or Zein genes are used as indicators of endogenous plant DNA transfer [24], [36]. These genes have a higher detection frequency than single copy genes such as Sh2 which may explain the discrepancies between our findings and those that have detected endogenous plant DNA in animal tissue. Similar to previous findings [39], the detection of both the endogenous plant and cry1Ab genes in the digesta of GM maize-fed pigs decreased during passage through the GIT from 100% recovery in the stomach to undetectable in the feces. Chowdhury et al. [39] found that a primer pair with a 110 bp PCR product detected cry1Ab in a greater number of pig digesta samples than a primer pair that detected a 437 bp fragment. Thus, the recombinant DNA appears to be degraded as it passes through the GIT. Consequently, the recombinant DNA may have been present in smaller fragments than were detectable using the cry1Ab primer pair used in the Expt. 1 (211 bp) accounting for the low frequency of detection in the distal GIT.

Similar to the findings documented by Yonemochi et al. [20], transgenic Cry1Ab protein was not detected in the plasma or organs of any pigs from Expt. 1. This is not surprising, considering that the transgene was also undetectable in plasma and organs. The Cry1Ab protein was only detected in 30% of stomach samples taken from GM maize-fed pigs and at low concentrations (2.74 ng/mL) even though the transgene was recovered from all of these samples. Chowdhury et al. [39] reported much higher levels of Cry1Ab protein (300±140 ng/g) in rectal digesta of pigs. However, these pigs were heavier and fed a diet containing 20% more maize than pigs in the current study. Numerous proteolytic cleavage sites for pepsin in particular, have been reported within the Cry1Ab protein [40]. Consequently, the Cry1Ab protein is likely to have undergone some degree of degradation by pepsin accounting from the lower detection frequency in the stomach. The lower detection frequency of thecry1Ab gene compared to the protein further down the GIT (small intestine, cecum and colon) found in Expt. 1 has been observed previously [39] when a 437 base pair primer was used for the detection of the cry1Ab gene in pig digesta. However, in the same study when a cry1Ab primer for a shorter fragment length (110 bp) was used, transgene detection frequency increased and mirrored that of the protein detection rates. Likewise, Einspanier et al. [41] found that the use of primers with shorter expected fragment lengths increased the chance of detection of plant and maize DNA from cows. In Expt. 1, the use of a 211 bp primer instead of a primer with a shorter expected fragment length may account for the discrepancies observed in detection frequencies between the cry1Ab gene and protein at similar sites along the GIT.

No consistent effects on feed intake and ADG have been reported in the numerous pig-feeding studies that have compared GM maize with conventional maize varieties [42], [43], [44]. Previous work published by our group [26] found that, similar to results from Expt. 2, feeding GM maize to weanling pigs had no effect on growth rate or body weight following 31 days of feeding. Although an increase in feed intake was observed previously [26] in Bt (MON810) maize-fed pigs, feed intake was not affected in Expt. 2. Consequently, short-term feeding of GM maize is unlikely to effect the growth of weanling pigs.

In conclusion, data obtained from short-term feeding of GM maize to weanling pigs have demonstrated no adverse effects on growth performance. Maize-derived DNA, either of intrinsic or recombinant origin, was largely degraded in the GIT. There was no evidence of cry1Ab gene or protein translocation to organs or plasma. Transgenic protein was detected in GIT digesta but at very low concentrations. Exposure to GM maize did induce some alterations in localized and peripheral immune responses in weanling pigs which require further investigation. The lack of Cry1Ab specific Ig production in plasma however suggests that the immune response was not allergenic and there is evidence to indicate that feeding GM maize may help to prevent an elevation in the inflammatory Th1 cytokine profile observed following non-GM maize consumption. Although the significance of the alterations in immune response have yet to be established, the lack of recombinant DNA or protein translocation to tissues or changes in growth should help to offer assurance to consumers as to the safety of GM feed ingredients. To further investigate the changes observed in this study, we are currently conducting a study to assess any immune responses that may arise from long-term feeding of GM maize to pigs.

Author Contributions Top

Conceived and designed the experiments: PGL GEG RPR. Performed the experiments: MCW SGB PGL GEG MCR. Analyzed the data: MCW SGB. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: MCW SGB MCR GEG PGL EG AJ. Wrote the paper: MCW SGB GEG PGL MCR MME RPR.

References Top

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Genetically modified food safe, animal study suggests

2012-01-30T12:33:00.001+11:00

Genetically modified food safe, animal study suggests: ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2012)

A three year feeding study has shown no adverse health effects in pigs fed genetically modified (GM) maize. The maize, which is a Bt-maize bred for its insect resistant properties, was sourced from Spain.

The results were one of the key findings of trials conducted as part of the GMSAFOOD consortium undertaking post market monitoring: long term, generational and food chain studies to test food safety.

The research team conducted short-term (31 days), medium-term (110 days) and generational pig feeding studies where the health of piglets of sows fed Bt-maize is measured. No adverse effects were observed, suggesting that feeding Bt-maize to pigs of different ages is safe.

"These findings can offer some assurance to consumers as to the safety of consuming Bt-maize," Peadar Lawlor, senior researcher at Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Ireland, said;

"The pig is considered to be an excellent model for humans due to similarities in gastrointestinal anatomy and physiology. Similar responses to Bt-maize consumption could be expected in humans," he said.

In addition to testing for any unforeseen adverse effects, the researchers were also looking for biomarkers (fragments of DNA) associated with immune responses which could be used for predicting immune response to future genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

The GMSAFOOD consortium, funded by the European Commission, brings together researchers from Austria, Ireland, Norway, Hungry, Turkey and Australia.

Cite:

Teagasc (2012, January 24). Genetically modified food safe, animal study suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 30, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2012/01/120124140103.htm#.TyXb

Update
Tech n you has some very useful further documentation here, including slides. The Teagasc study is linked to Australia's CSIRO

Abstracts of the published work (several more are in the press):

Br J Nutr. 2012 Feb;107(3):364-71. Epub 2011 Jul 1.

Effects of short-term feeding of Bt MON810 maize on growth performance, organ morphology and function in pigs.

Walsh MC, Buzoianu SG, Gardiner GE, Rea MC, Paul Ross R, Cassidy JP, Lawlor PG.

Source

Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, County Cork, Republic of Ireland.

Abstract

Male weanling pigs (n 32) with a mean initial body weight of 7·5 kg and a mean weaning age of 28 d were used in a 31 d study to investigate the effects of feeding GM (Bt MON810) maize on growth performance, intestinal histology and organ weight and function. At weaning, the pigs were fed a non-GM starter diet during a 6 d acclimatisation period. The pigs were then blocked by weight and litter ancestry and assigned to diets containing 38·9 % GM (Bt MON810) or non-GM isogenic parent line maize for 31 d. Body weight and feed disappearance were recorded on a weekly basis (n 16/treatment), and the pigs (n 10/treatment) were killed on day 31 for the collection of organ, tissue and blood samples. GM maize-fed pigs consumed more feed than the control pigs during the 31 d study (P less than 0·05) and were less efficient at converting feed to gain during days 14-30 (P less than 0·01). The kidneys of the pigs fed GM maize tended to be heavier than those of control pigs (P = 0·06); however, no histopathological changes or alterations in blood biochemistry were evident. Small intestinal morphology was not different between treatments. However, duodenal villi of GM maize-fed pigs tended to have fewer goblet cells/μm of villus compared with control pigs (P = 0·10). In conclusion, short-term feeding of Bt MON810 maize to weaned pigs resulted in increased feed consumption, less efficient conversion of feed to gain and a decrease in goblet cells/μm of duodenal villus. There was also a tendency for an increase in kidney weight, but this was not associated with changes in histopathology or blood biochemistry. The biological significance of these findings is currently being clarified in long-term exposure studies in pigs.

PMID:: 21733303; [PubMed - in process]

Related citations

PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e27177. Epub 2011 Nov 23.

Fate of transgenic DNA from orally administered Bt MON810 maize and effects on immune response and growth in pigs.

Walsh MC, Buzoianu SG, Gardiner GE, Rea MC, Gelencsér E, Jánosi A, Epstein MM, Ross RP, Lawlor PG.

Source

Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland.

Abstract

We assessed the effect of short-term feeding of genetically modified (GM: Bt MON810) maize on immune responses and growth in weanling pigs and determined the fate of the transgenic DNA and protein in-vivo. Pigs were fed a diet containing 38.9% GM or non-GM isogenic parent line maize for 31 days. We observed that IL-12 and IFNγ production from mitogenic stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells decreased (P less than 0.10) following 31 days of GM maize exposure. While Cry1Ab-specific IgG and IgA were not detected in the plasma of GM maize-fed pigs, the detection of the cry1Ab gene and protein was limited to the gastrointestinal digesta and was not found in the kidneys, liver, spleen, muscle, heart or blood. Feeding GM maize to weanling pigs had no effect on growth performance or body weight. IL-6 and IL-4 production from isolated splenocytes were increased (P<0.05) in response to feeding GM maize while the proportion of CD4(+) T cells in the spleen decreased. In the ileum, the proportion of B cells and macrophages decreased while the proportion of CD4(+) T cells increased in GM maize-fed pigs. IL-8 and IL-4 production from isolated intraepithelial and lamina propria lymphocytes were also increased (P less than 0.05) in response to feeding GM maize. In conclusion, there was no evidence of cry1Ab gene or protein translocation to the organs and blood of weaning pigs. The growth of pigs was not affected by feeding GM maize. Alterations in immune responses were detected; however, their biologic relevance is questionable.

PMID:: 22132091; [PubMed - in process]
PMCID: PMC3223173

Free PMC Article

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From poison to palatable

2012-01-30T12:29:00.001+11:00

From poison to palatable:

From poison to palatable

27 January 2012 The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Every night millions of people go to bed hungry. New genetic technology can help us feed the world by making inedible seeds more edible.

There are roughly about a quarter of a million plant species known on Earth. But we only eat between 5,000 and 10,000 of them. Many are poisonous to us – such as lily of the valley. And many plants have no human nutritional value – such as grass.

"In fact, there are no more than about 100 known species that can be used as important food crops," says Biology Professor Atle Bones at Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

But Bones and his research team have made a major discovery. They have figured out how a canola plant can be genetically programmed to reduce the toxic substances it produces in its seeds – thus making it more palatable.

Nobody has done this before, and Bones thinks it could be the beginning of a food revolution.

"The principle could be used with other plant species and plant parts," he says.

Tiny toxic bombs

Canola, or rape, is one of the fifteen most important crop plants in the world. It contains special cells that produce toxic substances. These "toxic bombs" are part of the plant's defence system and are activated in specific situations – such as when an insect begins feeding on a leaf. The substance that is released burns like hot mustard, causing animals and insects to move away.

"These 'toxic bombs' are good for the plant, but undesirable in animal feed and human food," says Bones.

When canola seeds are pressed, all the vegetable oil is removed. What is left is a protein-rich flour that can be used in food for animals and humans. But if the seeds pressed in the wrong way, the plant responds by releasing its toxic compounds. The oil is then flavoured with a taste of strong mustard, and the animals that eat the protein flour have stomach problems and troubles with nutrient uptake.

The NTNU research group has genetically reprogrammed canola cells so that the toxic bomb cells disappear on their own as the seed matures. But the toxin only fully disappears in the mature seeds.

This way, the plant can continue to protect itself, while the toxic compounds are removed from the part of the rapeseed used for food.

Thus, the proportion of rapeseed in the concentrate can be increased, and the seeds can be pressed without the risk of contaminating the oil with unwanted flavours and odours.

GMO production will double

There are almost 7 billion people on Earth. Every day, 25,000 people die of malnutrition – while 800 million are starving. By 2050 there will be more than 9 billion of us. As people become more prosperous, their per-person calorie consumption will grow. This combination of increased prosperity and population growth means that food production will have to double by 2050.

Globally, genetically modified food in production is already cultivated on +130 million hectares. But Bones believes that the production of genetically modified plants will more than double over the next ten years.

Today there are 25 countries that use genetically modified plants on a large scale. More than 50 per cent of the world's population lives in these countries.

Genetically modified soy already represents 75 per cent of all soybean production. And genetically modified plants are grown in an area that is 40 times the size of Denmark – mainly in the USA, Argentina, Brazil and China, according to Bones.

Genetically modified food is grown in seven European countries. There is already super broccoli that contains higher doses of the healthy substances in normal broccoli. Next year, producers will introduce soybeans enriched with omega-3 fatty acids.

From marijuana to food

Among the plants that could be genetically modified by removing their undesirable chemicals is cannabis.

Cannabis is a type of grass that thrives in subtropical and dry climates – and is best known as the raw material for hashish and marijuana.

But it is one of the world's fastest growing plants, and is exceptionally hardy. Its plant fibres can be used for rope and textiles, or as replacements for trees in the paper industry because they are stronger than wood fibre. The seeds can be used for oil.

"It would be interesting to use our new technology to produce cannabis that does not contain the psychoactive substance THC," says Bones.

Banned in Norway

It is illegal to grow genetically modified food in Norway, and in principle it may not be imported – not even for animal feed. But there are cracks in this virtual barrier, and small traces of genetically modified food are seeping in. Because Norway does not allow the sales of goods containing genetically modified contents, there is no provision for labelling this food on the grocery store shelves. But it's there.

The government has set 0.9 percent as the ceiling for how much genetically modified food may be in foods before they must be labelled. Each year, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority finds genetically modified canola, corn or rice in imported foods, which are promptly branded as illegal immigrants and kicked out of the country.

But the test sample size is small – last year only 131 samples were tested, of which 4 contained genetically modified food.

According to the Norwegian Board of Technology, it is difficult to keep Norway completely free of genetically modified ingredients, which is why the 0.9 per cent limit was set.

Everything is genetically modified

Atle Bones sees many benefits of genetically modified food.

"Genetically modified plants can be tailored to tolerate different climatic conditions such as drought or hard winters, and to have increased resistance to insects or fungus. These plants can thus be grown with fewer pesticides.

"This means that farmers are exposed to less pesticides, there are less pesticides in the ecosystem and probably less pesticides in food that is produced," Bones notes.

"There is nothing wrong or unethical about using genetically modified plants – because, in fact, all crops are modified. They have also been created from wild plants through comprehensive human-controlled breeding programmes and genetic selection," says Bones.

Must be thoroughly tested

It is no longer possible in the United States to distinguish between ordinary food and genetically modified food.

Some researchers describe the American situation as if people are playing Russian roulette with their health. Fear of allergies is one reason. Atle Bones believes that these kinds of worries over possible health effects are greatly exaggerated.

"It is obviously not possible to give an ironclad guarantee that no one will be allergic to a new gene in canola or corn. Neither is it possible to guarantee that no one is allergic to traditional modified plants. But this would normally be detected before the plants or the product goes into production.

"The method we have used, however, can remove known allergens, digestive inhibitory substances or toxins in the plant," said Bones.

He also believes that genetically modified plants must be assessed in each situation, and like conventionally modified plants, be tested thoroughly before they are approved for production.

"With our new technology, it is possible to target changes in specific parts of the plant. It is therefore possible to change a strawberry plant without any change in the berry to be eaten. And that is a scientific breakthrough," Bones concludes.

Gyres all the way down

2012-01-29T11:38:00.001+11:00

How the craziest f#@!ing "theory of everything" got published and promoted:

Physicists have been working for decades on a "theory of everything," one that unites quantum mechanics and relativity. Apparently, they were being too modest. Yesterday saw publication of a press release claiming a biologist had just published a theory accounting for all of that—and handling the origin of life and the creation of the Moon in the bargain. Better yet, no math!
Where did such a crazy theory originate? In the mind of a biologist at a respected research institution, Case Western Reserve University Medical School. Amazingly, he managed to get his ideas published, then amplified by an official press release. At least two sites with poor editorial control then reposted the press release—verbatim—as a news story.
Gyres all the way down
The theory in question springs from the brain of one Erik Andrulis, a CWRU faculty member who has a number of earlier papers on fairly standard biochemistry. The new paper was accepted by an open access journal called Life, meaning that you can freely download a copy of its 105 pages if you're so inclined. Apparently, the journal is peer-reviewed, which is a bit of a surprise; even accepting that the paper makes a purely theoretical proposal, it is nothing like science as I've ever seen it practiced....continues at link

Philippines role out for biofortified rice before 2013

2012-01-28T21:33:00.002+11:00

Golden rice compared to silver grain (Image-The Golden Rice Foundation)

Boosting the Country’s Food Security:
Re-posted in full from Truth about Trade, in the public interest

Initially : The Manilla Bulletin

January 17, 2012

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will be the launch pad for the marketing of Golden Rice by 2013. The launch is seen to boost global food security and reduce malnutrition. The Philippines was the first to commercialize the genetically modified Bacillus thuringiensis corn in Asia in 2002. It will once more set off to commercialize Golden Rice to help reduce mortality due to Vitamin A deficiency that afflicts children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers nationwide.

World Health Organization statistics reported in Southeast Asia, that 90 million children suffer from the deficiency. A 2009 study of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that a cup or 150 grams of Golden Rice, when cooked and eaten, could supply half of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A needed daily by adults.

A research study conducted by a team of scientists at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute, developed the Golden Rice. It is rice that has been genetically engineered to contain beta-carotene and other carotenoids. When the rice is consumed, some carotenoids are converted in the body into Vitamin A. Higher yield is expected compared to conventional crops. The new variety is targeted at resisting tungro and bacterial blight, the two diseases found to be most destructive to palay plants.

The search for Golden Rice started off as a Rockfeller initiative in 1982. After years of research by various groups, a meeting of experts was convened in New York in 1992. Ingo Potrykus, Professor Emeritus of the Institute for Plant Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Prof. Peter Beyer of the Centre for Applied Biosciences, University of Freiburg, Germany, met and decided to embark on the project that led them to develop Golden Rice in 1999.

Golden Rice is expected to find its way as a staple food on the tables of millions of Filipinos, and worldwide, by 2013. Studies are ongoing to ensure that the rice will be safe for health and to the environment. MABUHAY!

New Seeds Boost Yields for Drought-Hit Farmers

2012-01-27T10:59:00.001+11:00

allAfrica.com: Kenya: New Seeds Boost Yields for Drought-Hit Farmers: David Njagi 24 January 2012

Machakos — For a couple that has weathered the dual tests of early retirement and repeated crop failures, it might have seemed an impossible dream to former primary-school teacher Philip Ngolania and his farmer wife that their three quarters of an acre farm could one day yield enough staple food to last an entire season.
But a visit to the local office of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) early this year ushered in a fresh beginning for the 62-year-old father of four grown sons, whose land barely produced enough food for the family's daily meals in this drought-parched area east of the capital, Nairobi. Since that visit, he says, the family's prospects have improved dramatically.
In the seven years after leaving teaching, Ngolania has shared the burden of producing food for the family. "Now I'm assisting my wife," he says. "We are working together." But the indigenous seed varieties they were planting resulted in less than a single bag of grain each season.
At KARI, Ngolania learned about newly developed varieties that could resist drought and yield more produce. In fact, during this past season, he saw the small plot he and his wife cultivate yield five bags of maize for the first time....continues at link

GM barley trial 'success' - National Rural News - Grains and Cropping - Barley - Stock & Land

2012-01-27T09:19:00.001+11:00

GM barley trial 'success' - National Rural News - Grains and Cropping - Barley - Stock & Land:

Stock and Land are reporting Western Australian trials of GM salt tolerant barley are a success:

ACPFG researcher Stuart Roy said that in low salt areas, GM barley yielded 20 to 30 per cent higher than non-GM barley.
More impressively, in salty areas, yields were up 50 to 70 per cent more grains per plant.

Why Organic Spices Aren't Always Safe: Organics Prohibit Obvious Safety Measure

2012-01-27T08:10:00.000+11:00

The (Un)usual Suspect: Why Organic Spices Aren't Always Safe : The Salt : NPR:
January 26, 2012 , by NANCY SHUTE
June Jones, a hairdresser in Tacoma, Wash., decided to concoct a salt-free seasoning after one of her clients complained that the salt substitutes on the market tasted terrible.
But now Jones's signature product, Jones Mock Salt, has been recalled due to possible contamination with salmonella.
That recall really got our attention. How could salt be contaminated with Salmonella?
If your blog's named The Salt, you've just got to find out. So we dug into the story, and found that it's due to a collision of two distressing trends: contamination of herbs and spices, and safety issues with organic products.
One of the ingredients in Jones's secret recipe is organic celery seed. And that's the source of the trouble....continue at link

Irradiation, banned by organic food purveyers, can assure that spices are safe. But there is strong opposition.
A good discussion about this opposition is give by Matt Ridley at WSJ:

When Precaution Trumps Public Safety
By MATT RIDLEY
A technology that might have prevented contaminated produce from infecting thousands of Germans with E. coli was vetoed—by Germany—11 years ago for use in the European Union. Irradiating food with high-voltage electrons is a process that can kill bacteria on or in solid objects, just as pasteurization can kill them in liquid foods....continues at link.

Illumination sheds light on Natural News incompetence as a source of health advice

2012-01-25T12:25:00.000+11:00

Kevin Folta's blog sheds light on the dangers of believing the promotional fluff spead by the so-called natural food industry. This piece demonstrates that Big Quacka is indeed a horrible sham and a danger to good health. Go read the rest of his article at his blog.

Natural News Lies; Then Points a Finger at Big Ag

Today’s Natural News article fans the flames of the anti-GMO crowd. It is another fine piece of work by the anti-scientist, Ethan Huff, the same person that brought you the distortion of the breastfeeding and vaccination story. For those that do not read this blog often, there is a substantial section of humanity that believes that transgenic technology (GMO, GM, GE, Frankenfood, etc) is dangerous. They indict the companies that generate the plant materials and target scientists that don’t support their bogus claims. They find fringe journals and self-proclaimed experts to substantiate their positions. Ultimately the problem is that they spend a lot of time attacking a safe, proven and ubiquitous technology that presents no independently reproducible evidence of harm.

Another anti-science travesty by the self-proclaimed expertsat Natural News
Natural News is a central purveyor of their disinformation. Articles are written by non-scientists, cherry picking either legitimate science or company websites in an attempt to distort truths to garner sensationalized readership. The articles are inflammatory and are not based on real science. Of course, the articles nestle aside a rich slate of advertisements, many for items that perpetuate the naturalist fallacy. Ironically, they attack sound science and promote unvetted claims. There, we needed some backstory.
Today’s Natural News starts with the title “There is no need for, or value in testing the safety of GM foods in humans”. Of course, this is a complete lie and inconsistent with the current regulatory environment. In fact, Monsanto and their ilk like to keep regulatory hurdles high to keep out public scientists and small business, but I digress. The first line of the article says:
NN: (NaturalNews) There is a growing body of scientific evidence which proves that genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) are inherently different from natural organisms, including the way the body processes them, as well as how the immune system responds to them.
Note that this claim has no citations, and a quick review of the literature does not back these claims.
NN: But Monsanto, the largest purveyor of GMOs in the world, believes that GMOs are no different than natural organisms, and that GMO testing is both needless and valueless.
It is not just Monsanto. It is just about every scientist that understands genes and genomics. Genomes are dynamic. Genes and large stretches of DNA move about the genome with regularity. Modern plant lines, even the most wholesome of the organic favorites, result from breeding plants against other plants, oftentimes mixing tens of thousands of genes, transposons, and other regulatory molecules in ways that can never be predicted.
In short, adding a gene, or a few genes via the lab is trivial compared to what happens in breeding or in the course of natural plant growth. Transgenic plants are essentially equivalent to non-trangenics.
NN: In the Why aren't you running human clinical trials on GM crops? section ofMonsanto's Food Safety page, the biotechnology giant explains its opinion that GMOs are "substantially equivalent" to natural organisms. According to Monsanto, since concentrations of proteins, carbohydrates, and other nutrient factors vary among natural crops, as well as among natural and GM crops, then these differences are automatically unimportant in light of GMO safety.
And Monsanto’s position is supported by science. Transgenic crops are considered equivalent to those produced through traditional breeding by many international organizations with no ties to Monsanto or US agriculture.
The article also fails to point out that Monsanto absolutely does see a need to test the safety of the protein that is being introduced. These studies are performed and carefully regulated.

(Continues at link)

Many people think these bits of quackery are deliberate lies. The Pundit's view is the misinformation is largely a result of self-delusion and scientific incompetence. We are seeing modern witch doctors in action.

Update. A later post at Natural News shows they are straightforward off-the-planet nutters. A screen capture tells the story:

The Natural News worldview

Podcast interview with Nina Fedoroff on science for global agricultural challenges

2012-01-22T18:25:00.001+11:00

How many people in the world today are hungry?

Until 2008, there were perhaps between a half a billion and 800 million people that were hungry. Today, it’s over a billion people.
Think about what happened in the last half of the 20th century. Even as the population doubled from three to six billion, we managed to race ahead with all kinds of technological and scientific events in agriculture – from using more fertilizers to mechanization to advanced plant breeding. We managed to stay ahead of things so that we decreased the fraction of humanity that was perpetually hungry from half to about a sixth.
But those advances are not continuing. The number of hungry people is going up. We here in developed countries are used to paying a very small fraction of our income for food. But there are places in the world where people spend to 50 to 70 percent of everything they earn on food. And when the price of basic grains doubles, those folks are in trouble.

More of this story, and access to podcast of the interview with Nina Fedoroff at EarthSky.Org

Turkey makes a step forward to approve GM corn varieties as animal feed

2012-01-22T18:15:00.001+11:00

Todays Zaman (Turkey) (Carried by Truth about Trade)
January 15, 2012, By Noah Blaser
When it comes to genetically modified produce, public skepticism may be big, but big biotech’s reach may be even bigger, suggests a new Turkish regulation which legalizes the importation of genetically modified feed corn.
The regulation, approved in late November by Ankara’s Biosecurity Committee and put into effect at the start of 2012, gives the green light to the importation and sale of 13 genetically modified varieties of corn for livestock feed, a sign to activists and biotech lobbyists alike that Turkey’s once bio-technologies adverse climate may be coming to an end.
“The decision is an indicator of a changing regulatory climate surrounding GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in this country,” said Koray Çalışkan, an assistant professor of political science at Boğaziçi University and who has written extensively about GMO regulation in Turkey....

Refuges of susceptible cotton delay emergence of pest resistance to Bt protein

2012-01-17T05:52:00.001+11:00

Large-scale, spatially-explicit test of the refuge strategy for delaying insecticide resistance.

Abstract: The refuge strategy is used worldwide to delay the evolution of pest resistance to insecticides that are either sprayed or produced by transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops. This strategy is based on the idea that refuges of host plants where pests are not exposed to an insecticide promote survival of susceptible pests. Despite widespread adoption of this approach, large-scale tests of the refuge strategy have been problematic. Here we tested the refuge strategy with 8 y of data on refuges and resistance to the insecticide pyriproxyfen in 84 populations of the sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) from cotton fields in central Arizona. We found that spatial variation in resistance to pyriproxyfen within each year was not affected by refuges of melons or alfalfa near cotton fields. However, resistance was negatively associated with the area of cotton refuges and positively associated with the area of cotton treated with pyriproxyfen. A statistical model based on the first 4 y of data, incorporating the spatial distribution of cotton treated and not treated with pyriproxyfen, adequately predicted the spatial variation in resistance observed in the last 4 y of the study, confirming that cotton refuges delayed resistance and treated cotton fields accelerated resistance. By providing a systematic assessment of the effectiveness of refuges and the scale of their effects, the spatially explicit approach applied here could be useful for testing and improving the refuge strategy in other crop-pest systems.

PMID: 22215605 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Jan 3. [Epub ahead of print]

Carrière Y, Ellers-Kirk C, Hartfield K, Larocque G, Degain B, Dutilleul P, Dennehy TJ, Marsh SE, Crowder DW, Li X, Ellsworth PC, Naranjo SE, Palumbo JC, Fournier A, Antilla L, Tabashnik BE.

Source

Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721.

Large-scale, spatially-explicit tes... [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI:

High-yield maize with large net energy yield and small global warming intensity

2012-01-17T05:41:00.001+11:00

High-yield maize with large net energy yield and small global warming intensity:
Addressing concerns about future food supply and climate change requires management practices that maximize productivity per unit of arable land while reducing negative environmental impact. Onfarm data were evaluated to assess energy balance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of irrigated maize in Nebraska that received large nitrogen (N) fertilizer (183 kg of N·ha−1) and irrigation water inputs (272 mm or 2,720 m3ha−1). Although energy inputs (30GJ·ha−1) were larger than those reported for US maize systems in previous studies, irrigated maize in central Nebraska achieved higher grain and net energy yields (13.2 Mg·ha−1and 159 GJ·ha−1, respectively) and lower GHG-emission intensity (231 kg of CO2e·Mg−1 of grain). Greater input-use efﬁciencies, especially for N fertilizer, were responsible for better performance of these irrigated systems, compared with much lower-yielding, mostly rainfed maize systems in previous studies. Large variation in energy inputs and GHG emissions across irrigated ﬁelds in the present study resulted from differences in applied irrigation water amount and imbalances between applied N inputs and crop N demand, indicating potential to further improve environmental performance through better management of these inputs. Observed variation in N-use efﬁciency, at any level of applied N inputs, suggests that an N-balance approach may be more appropriate for estimating soil N2O emissions than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change approach based on a ﬁxed proportion of applied N. Negative correlation between GHG-emission intensity and net energy yield supports the proposition that achieving high yields, large positive energy balance, and low GHG emissions in intensive cropping systems are not conﬂicting goals.

agro-ecosystem | food security | crop intensiﬁcation |land use change |environmental footprint

Patricio Grassini and Kenneth G. Cassman

Published online before print January 9, 2012, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1116364109

PNAS January 9, 2012 Free via Open Access: OA

Epigenetics: A Turning Point in Our Understanding of Heredity | Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network

2012-01-17T05:28:00.001+11:00

Epigenetics: A Turning Point in Our Understanding of Heredity | Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network:

In a studypublished in late 2011 in Nature, Stanford University geneticist Anne Brunet and colleagues described a series of experiments that caused nematodes raised under the same environmental conditions to experience dramatically different lifespans. Some individuals were exceptionally long-lived, and their descendants, through three generations, also enjoyed long lives. Clearly, the longevity advantage was inherited. And yet, the worms, both short- and long-lived, were genetically identical.

This type of finding—an inherited difference that cannot be explained by variations in genes themselves—has become increasingly common, in part because scientists now know that genes are not the only authors of inheritance. There are ghostwriters, too. ...continues at SciAM

Jeffrey Smith is the Russ Miller of the anti-GMO movement

2012-01-15T10:31:00.001+11:00

Lithodid-Man in action on You-tube cleaning up fakery and deception on GMOs.

The Pundit's reaction: incisive, witty, biting and true.

Original Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa95w3JzZ3A

Lithodid-Man's citations and links mentioned in talk.

Smith's Youtube page:
http://www.youtube.com/user/GeneticRoulette

EvoGenVideos: http://www.youtube.com/user/EvoGenVideos

His series to Jeffrey Smith:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2zsyxvpw4o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68CIY3Y3EIU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkcJNsg78ms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2DiQuiDge4

Info page from FDA on GM Salmon:
http://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/VeterinaryMe...

The briefing packet on GM Salmon:
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/Ve...

Study by AquAdvantage:
www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/VeterinaryMedicineAdvisoryCommittee/UCM224760.pdf

Study of Bovine Growth Hormone:
download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0022-0302/PIIS0022030292781193.pdf

Smith GD, Gunnell D, Holly J (2000) Cancer and insulin growth factor-1. British Journal of Medicine 321: 847-848.

Smith's HuffPo blog about rats and soy:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/genetically-modified-soy_b_735528...

The actual paper he cites:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.20878/full

Marshall A (2007) GM soybeans and health safety -- a controversy reexamined. Nature Biotechnology 25(9): 981- 987.

An excellent breakdown of the Ermakov study (also the entire site is a breakdown of Smith's contradictions with actual published literature)
http://academicsreview.org/reviewed-content/genetic-roulette/section-1/1-14-r...

Smith on sterility in hamsters:
www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/genetically-modified-soy_b_544575.html

More info on the Surov study:
http://www.bsba.ag/BSBA/Hamsters_and_GMO/Entries/2010/4/26_Day_of_longboardin... (mostly in Russian, some English)

Paper Smith claims "proves" Roundup-Ready bacteria are produced in human gut:

Netherwood T, Martín-Orúe SM, O'Donnell AG, Gockling S, Graham J, Mathers JC and Gilbert HJ (2004). Assessing the survival of transgenic plant DNA in the human gastrointestinal tract. Nature Biotechnology 22(2):204-209.

Smith, TM and the Maharishi (look especially at the contact info of the anti-GMO sites):
http://academicsreview.org/reviewed-individuals/jeffrey-smith/
http://www.safe-food.org/-campaign/about.html
http://www.foodchainadvisors.com/contact.aspx
http://www.genetic-id.com/Home.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TM-Sidhi_program
http://www.mum.edu/index.html
http://www.maharishivediccity-iowa.gov/

Category:

Education

Misinformation about food safety goes hand in glove with advertising for organic rice.

2012-01-15T09:15:00.000+11:00

The next generation of GMOs could be especially dangerous | Grist:

Recent posts have covered the dreadful article at The Atlantic about micro RNA in rice and they way in which a correction of sorts was forced by blogger criticisms.

Chinese scientists identified potential problems in conventional rice (yet to be confirmed) , but The Atlantic headline screamed GMOs are the worry.

There is a interesting follow-up web item about this rice report at Grist (screen-grab shown below), which continues the screeching about GMOs, and also gladly accepts advertising from an organic food company (Lundberg Rice).

That's modern journalistic ethics for you. Confusion of news, opinion and advertising.

Nigeria releases vitamin A cassava to improve public health for millions | Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers

2012-01-13T21:07:00.001+11:00

Nigeria releases vitamin A cassava to improve public health for millions | Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers:

The Nigerian Government announced in December, the release of three new vitamin A-rich ‘yellow’ cassava varieties that could provide more vitamin A in the diets of over 70 million Nigerians who eat cassava every day. The yellow color – cassava is generally white – is due to the higher vitamin A content.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is widely prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. It afflicts almost 20% of pregnant women and about 30% of children under-five in Nigeria. VAD can lower immunity and impair vision, which can lead to blindness and even death.

Children and women will be the main beneficiaries of these new yellow varieties, which could provide up to 25% of their daily vitamin A needs. Varieties with enough vitamin A to provide up to half of daily needs are already in the breeding pipeline and should be ready for release in a few years.

These new yellow varieties were bred using traditional (non-transgenic) methods by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Nigerian National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) and were liked by farmers during field trials. Cassava is an extremely adaptable crop; it is drought tolerant, requires limited land preparation, and grows well in poor soils. The new yellow varieties are also high yielding and resistant to major diseases and pests....continues at link

Monsanto company comments on much hyped microRNA paper

2012-01-13T20:16:00.000+11:00

The previous post covered the ongoing controversy about the effect reported by Zhang and others of plant components called micro RNA (miRNA) on tissue biochemical activities in animals which have been fed plant based diets.This controversy that has been recently fanned by a flawed magazine article linking the Zhang report findings to purported GMO hazards. Note that the Zhang article is not about GMOs.

Here is a technical commentary on this paper from scientists at Monsanto Company.

Monsanto ~ Technical Analysis: Zhang et al.:

Technical Analysis: Zhang et al.

Monsanto Company

1/10/2012

Zhang et al. (2011) demonstrate that, among the very large number of microRNAs (miRNAs) in plants, a small number can be detected in human and animal blood. In mice, the authors show that following ingestion of large doses of one particular miRNA (MIR168a), MIR168a was absorbed, was detectable in the serum and liver, protein from a particular gene (LDLRAP1) involved in the removal of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol from blood was reduced and as a result, LDL levels in the mice were increased.

The authors suggest that such a “cross-kingdom” effect – a plant gene product (MIR168a) regulating animal gene expression – may be a common phenomenon; and that miRNAs in food may regulate specific genes in animals based upon matching sequences between plant miRNAs and mammalian genes.

Since this paper was published, Monsanto scientists have thoroughly studied the work and its relevance to the safety assessment of genetically modified (GM) crops and foods derived from them.

There is too little experimental evidence to conclude that the regulation of animal genes by plant miRNAs is an important diet-mediated phenomenon. MIR168a was relatively abundant in the control chow diet, and yet no effect was seen on LDLRAP1 or LDL cholesterol in mice fed this chow diet. By contrast, consumption of a large amount of uncooked rice, containing approximately 8-fold higher amounts of MIR168a than the chow diet, resulted in changes in LDLRAP1 and, consequently, an increase in serum LDL cholesterol. It is noteworthy that mice were fed the human equivalent of over 73 poundsof cooked rice per person per day, which exceeds the highest rice-consuming population (97.5^th percentile group) by 80 to 100 fold. The fact that rural Chinese populations consuming high-rice diets have been shown to have lower levels of LDL than their urban counterparts (with lower rice intake) would suggest that the activity of MIR168a in humans is negligible or at least is sufficiently small that other environmental determinants are more important in regulating LDL concentration than MIR168a. In short, the relevance of dietary concentrations of MIR168a or other miRNAs in humans remains to be established.

It is important to remember that humans regularly consume plants that contain small RNAs. Recent research by Ivashuta et al. (2009, Food and Chemical Toxicology 47:353–360) demonstrated that many existing plant RNA’s share sequences with human genes. Further, humans regularly consume animal derived foods with mammalian miRNAs with 100% identity to human genes. Despite the routine ingestion of plant and animal small RNAs, no impacts on human gene regulation or health have been reported. Treatment of disease via oral ingestion of RNA-based medications has not been accomplished despite more than a decade of effort by the pharmaceutical industry. Systemic suppression of specific target genes in humans has not been possible with oral administration of small RNAs, even when using RNA constructs specifically designed to achieve gene suppression and when employing modified RNAs to enhance stability.

This is an important area of research, but given what is known about the ubiquitous nature of RNA in all whole foods and about the unsuccessful efforts to develop oral RNA pharmaceutical products, much more information is needed before it can be concluded that dietary miRNAs regularly have any meaningful impact on mammalian or human gene regulation.

Importantly, the authors state: “It is unlikely that such high concentrations of mature plant miRNAs can be achieved in serum, plasma, and organs of humans or animals via food intake.” Based on the available information, the results with the abundant MIR168a are not sufficient to support a broad conclusion that plant miRNAs present in food are part of a common and general mechanism for “cross-kingdom” regulation animal genes.

After a careful examination of the paper, we have identified a number of relevant facts that should be taken into account when looking at data and the relevancy of the findings.
Of the many thousands of plant miRNAs, only a small number are found in human or animal blood.
The absence of most plant miRNAs in serum indicates:

Absorption may be selective;
Only some miRNAs in foods have properties which allow them to survive in foods, the GI tract, and serum;
Only relatively abundant miRNAs are present at high enough levels to be detected;
Or some combination of these factors.

MIR168a is among the more abundant miRNAs in many plants, but even allowing for this MIR168a appears to be disproportionately found in animal tissues and is also considerably more stable in rice than MIR156a or MIR166a (see Table S3 of Zhang et al.) This suggests that for some reason MIR168a is preferentially absorbed and/or preserved (before or after absorption) relative to other miRNAs.
Changes in MIR168a levels with concomitant changes in LDLRAP1 expression and LDL cholesterol were observed following higher doses (raw rice diet) in mice; however no effect on LDLRAP1 or LDL cholesterol was seen when animals were fed an ordinary chow diet. Consequently, there may well be little or no effect on mice eating a more diverse, ordinary diet.
The findings with MIR168a may represent a rare or unique case, resulting from the uncharacteristically high abundance of MIR168a in rice and disproportionate absorption and/or preservation of MIR168a in combination with the high homology (gene sequence match) to LDLRAP1.
The loss of MIR168a effects occurred with less than a 10-fold reduction in diet concentration, indicating that this phenomenon is highly dose-dependant. The ability to observe this phenomenon may be related to the high-dosing regimens employed.
The authors cannot exclude the possibility that in-vivo LDLRAP1 reduction and concomitant LDL increase were due to radical changes in diet. In addition to higher levels of MIR168a, the rice-only diet was higher in carbohydrates and deficient in fats and proteins, and the animals were in a starvation-state.
While high doses of MIR168a influence cholesterol levels in mice, the relevance of dietary intakes of MIR168a or other miRNAs in the human diet remains to be established.
The fact that rural Chinese populations consuming high-rice diets have been shown to have lower levels of LDL than their urban counterparts (who have lower rice intake) suggests that the activity of MIR168a in humans is negligible or at least is sufficiently small that other environmental determinants of LDL concentration may overcome the effects of MIR168a on cholesterol.

There is a broad foundation of evidence that supports the safety of GM crops that express siRNAs. These data have been reviewed and accepted by Regulatory authorities globally. Monsanto will continue to examine all new evidence published in the scientific literature and our own studies. We are committed to the safety of our products and to safety of the food and feed products produced from them.

Blogger energy forces a correction to junk science about microRNA at The Altlantic Magazine

2012-01-13T14:49:00.000+11:00

By claiming that microRNAs (miRNAs) are a “very real danger of GMOs” The Atlantic food writer Ari Levaux has shown how trashy journalism can now get corrected by the blogosphere almost in real-time. Unfortunately trashy journalism even when corrected quickly allows confusing mis-information to get wide publicity, and the public would be better served with rigorous editorial standards being in place before a story goes to print.

First Emily Willingham asked some direct questions about why the embarrasingly bad piece was ever published.

Then Chrissie Wilcox and others got on the job:

Science Sushi
Real science. Served raw.
The Very Real Scaremongering of Ari Levaux
By Christie Wilcox | January 12, 2012 | 24
Recently, food columnist Ari Levaux wrote what can only be described as a completely unscientific article in The Atlantic claiming that microRNAs (miRNAs) are a “very real danger of GMOs.”
I won’t go point by point through the horrendous inaccuracies in his piece, as Emily Willingham has more than hacked them to bits. But I do want to make a short comment on this idea that miRNAs are dangerous, and thus something we should worry about when it comes to what we eat....

Collide-a-scape blog caught up with a lot of the back-story, and noted the final admission of problems with the story:

UPDATE: Several hours after publishing my post, The Atlantic did exactly what I suggested they should do: acknowledge the errors in the article. Here is the revised editors note:
The Atlantic
Update 1/12: Thanks to science and biology bloggers, Christie Wilcox and Emily Willingham at the Scientific American blog network and The Biology Files, respectively, we’ve learned of the scientific errors made in Ari LeVaux’s most recent Flash in the Pan column, which is syndicated by a number of newspapers and magazine websites. This column has been expanded and updated, with LeVaux discussing specific changes in the comments. We regret the errors.

Even with these necessary corrections made, the flawed story will continue to bounce around the net for many months. Fortunately editors at The Atlantic must have learnt a lesson about the need for high standards in stories about human health

FURTHER UPDATE Jan 10th 2012

The Monsanto Company has issued a detailed technical analysis of the Chinese miRNA paper that is relevant to understanding the science behind the flawed Atlantic article.

GMO Pundit a.k.a. David Tribe

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PLoS ONE: Fate of Transgenic DNA from Orally Administered Bt MON810 Maize and Effects on Immune Response and Growth in Pigs

Fate of Transgenic DNA from Orally Administered Bt MON810 Maize and Effects on Immune Response and Growth in Pigs

Abstract Top

Introduction Top

Methods Top

1. Ethics statement

2. Genetically modified maize

3. Animal housing, diets and management

3.1 Expt.1.

3.2 Expt.2.

4. Intestinal, organ and blood sampling

Expt. 1.

Expt. 2.

5. Growth

Expt. 2.

6. Evaluation of the immune response to oral administration of Bt MON810 maize in pigs

6.1 Isolation and stimulation of PBMC and cytokine measurement.

6.2 Isolation and stimulation of lamina propria and intraepithelial lymphocytes and splenocytes and measurement of cytokine production.

6.3 Immune cell phenotyping.

6.4 Cry1Ab-specific antibody response.

7. Tracking of the Cry1Ab protein and gene in feed and porcine digesta, organs and blood

7.1 Cry1Ab protein quantification.

7.2 DNA extraction.

Feed and digesta samples

Animal tissue

White blood cells

7.3 PCR.

8. Statistical analysis

Results Top

1. Analysis of GM and non-GM maize for the cry1Ab gene, mycotoxins and pesticide residues

2. Expt.1. Effect of short-term feeding of GM maize on the systemic immune response

3. Detection of transgenic and endogenous plant genes in white blood cells, tissues and digesta of GM maize-fed pigs

4. Transgenic Cry1Ab protein detection in plasma, tissue and digesta of GM maize-fed pigs

5. Expt. 2. Effect of feeding GM maize on body weight and growth performance

6. Effect of short-term feeding of GM maize on the local immune response

Discussion Top

Author Contributions Top

References Top

Genetically modified food safe, animal study suggests

Effects of short-term feeding of Bt MON810 maize on growth performance, organ morphology and function in pigs.

Source

Abstract

Fate of transgenic DNA from orally administered Bt MON810 maize and effects on immune response and growth in pigs.

Source

Abstract

From poison to palatable

From poison to palatable

Gyres all the way down

Gyres all the way down

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Jeffrey Smith is the Russ Miller of the anti-GMO movement

Category:

Tags:

Misinformation about food safety goes hand in glove with advertising for organic rice.

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Monsanto company comments on much hyped microRNA paper

Technical Analysis: Zhang et al.

Monsanto Company

1/10/2012

Blogger energy forces a correction to junk science about microRNA at The Altlantic Magazine