BIOSAFETY ASSESSMENT OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS

The enormous development in gene transfer technology made it possible to evolve new cultivars with valuable agronomic traits but escape of transgenes from genetically modified crops is one of the major concerns for biosafety. This study was aimed to investigate the potential flow of rice chitinase gene (RCG3) from transgenic wheat. Soil nutritional analysis was done through AB-DTPA method, while soil bacteria were isolated and identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The transgenic plant showed the presence of RCG3 gene after PCR analysis while it was absent in control plants. The same gene was absent in both soil samples collected from transgenic and non-transgenic plants. Soil nutritional analysis showed KNO3 (1.53 mg/kg) and phosphorous contents (1.35 mg/kg) in transgenic wheat soil as compared to their counterparts that gave 3.01 and 2.51 mg/kg KNO3 and phosphorous contents, respectively. Bacterial colonies count showed the maximum number in transgenic wheat rhizosphere (2x10(4) CFU/g of a total replication in dilution factor 10(-2)). Results showed that both strains of transgenic and control rhizospheric wheat were from the same group (97% sequence similarity) showing the same common ancestor. These results clearly demonstrated that neither vertical nor horizontal gene flow occurred from transgenic wheat.