genetic engineering

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Egypt develops GM tomato varieties resistant to leaf curl

Despite a moratorium on the commercialisation of genetically engineered (GE) crops in Egypt, biotechnology research and development continues there and tomatoes and potatoes are among the crops being focused on.

Despite a moratorium on the commercialisation of genetically engineered (GE) crops in Egypt, biotechnology R&D continues there and tomatoes and potatoes are among the crops being focused on.

According to the USDA GAIN report ‘Egypt: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual’, tomato varieties have been engineered that are resistant to tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). The disease has spread to all of the main vegetable-producing regions of Egypt where it has become the limiting factor for tomato production, causing up to 100% yield loss, the report says.

But TYLCV-resistant tomato varieties have been engineered through collaboration between Cairo University, the Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI) – which is Egypt’s premier biotechnology research organisation – and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. They used the “siRNA strategy to block the viral life cycle in the plant and prevent it from spreading, thus acquiring virus resistance.”

“If successful, the plants will enable the economic production of high quality tomatoes while reducing the need for chemical protection methods,” the report says. Approval to conduct field trials on the tomato varieties is needed from Egypt’s National Biosafety Committee (NBC). On September 7, 2014, the former Minister of Agriculture Dr. Adel El Beltagy issued a decree to re-establish the committee, but it has yet to convene a meeting. Also, a biosafety bill has been drafted in Egypt and awaits submission to Parliament for ratification.

On potatoes, the report said there has been work on the following:

  • Genetic transformation of potato cultivars for resistance to bacterial pathogens Ralstonia solanacearum,
  • Overexpression of potato β-1, 3 glucanase gene to enhance resistance to late blight disease,
  • Insertion of chitinase gene to attenuate early blight disease in some potato virus resistant lines.

Image: “Vallee fertile du Nil a Louxor”. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

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Strawberry gene boosts vitamin C in tomato

The tomato is one of the most consumed items in the Mediterranean diet but its vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is around 15-20 milligrams per 100 grams, which is relatively low compared with other plant species such as citrus fruits, kiwi, papaya and strawberry.

A tomato with 15% more vitamin C is the result of genetic engineering by Spanish scientists.

The key was using a strawberry gene involved in the production of ascorbic acid, according to the researchers from the Institute for Mediterranean and Subtropical Horticulture “La Mayora” (IHSM-UMA-CSIC) and the Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (IFAPA).

In a press release, they said they used the gene because it is what makes the from the strawberry one of the fruits with the highest vitamin C contents. It had already been successfully transferred to lettuce, doubling its vitamin C, but had never been tested on the tomato.

Collecting samples

The tomato is one of the most consumed items in the Mediterranean diet but its vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is around 15-20 milligrams per 100 grams, which is relatively low compared with other plant species such as citrus fruits, kiwi, papaya and strawberry.

“Since the tomato has small amounts of this nutrient, but it is one of the most consumed crops and of great importance for agriculture and the economy, we felt it was a good food in which to try to improve the nutritional quality,” said lead researcher Victoriano Valpuesta, from the University of Malaga.

Lead researcher Victoriano Valpuesta, from the University of Malaga

The techniques used to achieve the genetic modification are explained in the research article “Increased antioxidant capacity in tomato by ectopic expression of the strawberry D-galacturonate reductase gene” published in the Biotechnology Journal.

“Genetic engineering, with all the (relevant) precautions, should be seen as a solution for creating products with increased nutritional value,” Valpuesta said.

After completing this project, funded by Spain’s the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, the researchers will next focus on improving quality in strawberries and on studying the olive genome.