4.2 Article

Molecular-based environmental risk assessment of three varieties of genetically engineered cows

Journal

TRANSGENIC RESEARCH
Volume 20, Issue 5, Pages 1043-1054

Publisher

SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s11248-010-9477-3

Keywords

Environmental risk assessment; Genetically engineered animal; PCR-DGGE; 16S rDNA sequencing; Phylogenetic analysis

Funding

  1. key special projects of breeding new varieties of genetically engineered organisms in China [2008ZX08011-004, 2008ZX08012-005]

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The development of animal biotechnology has led to an increase in attention to biosafety issues. Here we evaluated the impact of genetically engineered cows on the environment. The probability of horizontal gene transfer and the impact on the microbial communities in cow gut and soil were tested using three varieties of genetically engineered cows that were previously transformed with a human gene encoding lysozyme, lactoferrin, or human alpha lactalbumin. The results showed that the transgenes were not detectable by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or quantitative real-time PCR in gut microbial DNA extracts of manure or microbial DNA extracts of topsoil. In addition, the transgenes had no impact on the microbial communities in cow gut or soil as assessed by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis or 16S rDNA sequencing. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses showed that the manure bacteria sampled during each of the four seasons belonged primarily to two groups, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, and the soil bacteria belonged to four groups, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and alpha-proteobacteria. Other groups, such as beta-proteobacteria, gamma-proteobacteria, delta-proteobacteria, epsilon-proteobacteria, Spirochaetes, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Nitro-spira, were not dominant in the manure or soil.

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