Comparison of the physiological characteristics of transgenic insect-resistant cotton and conventional lines

Journal or Publishing Institution: Scientific Reports

Study: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep08739?WT.ec_id=SREP-631-20150310

Author(s): Li, X., Ding, C., Wang, X. and Liu, B.

Article Type: Peer Reviewed Study

Record ID: 1415

Abstract: The introduction of transgenic insect-resistant cotton into agricultural ecosystems has raised concerns regarding its ecological effects. Many studies have been conducted to compare the differences in characteristics between transgenic cotton and conventional counterparts. However, few studies have focused on the different responses of transgenic cotton to stress conditions, especially to the challenges of pathogens. The aim of this work is to determine the extent of variation in physiological characteristics between transgenic insect-resistant cotton and the conventional counterpart infected by cotton soil-borne pathogens. The results showed that the difference in genetic backgrounds is the main factor responsible for the effects on biochemical characteristics of transgenic cotton when incubating with cotton Fusarium oxysporum. However, genetic modification had a significantly greater influence on the stomatal structure of transgenic cotton than the effects of cotton genotypes. Our results highlight that the differences in genetic background and/or genetic modifications may introduce variations in physiological characteristics and should be considered to explore the potential unexpected ecological effects of transgenic cotton.

Keywords: Cotton, Malvaceae, Transgenic Plants, Cultivated Plants, Genotypes; Analysis of Variance, Animals, Bacterial Proteins, Carbohydrates, Disease Resistance, Endotoxins, Fusarium, Gossypium, Hemolysin Proteins, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Insecta, Linear Models, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Peroxidase, Plant Diseases, Plant Leaves, Plant Proteins, Plant Stomata, Genetically Modified Plants, Superoxide Dismutase; Genetics, Analysis, Physiology, Parasitology, Metabolism, Microbiology; Insecticidal Crystal Protein, Bacillus Thuringiensis; Cry Proteins, Enzyme Activities, Germplasm, Pollen-Tube, Fusarium oxysporum, Cotton Bollworm, Potato, Woodlice, Earthworms, Nematodes, Transgenic, Genetic Modification, Cultivars

Citation: Li, X., Ding, C., Wang, X. and Liu, B., 2015. Comparison of the physiological characteristics of transgenic insect-resistant cotton and conventional lines. Scientific Reports, 5, p.8739.