Genetic Use Restriction Technology
This product was added biology to improve the basis of formal and / or substantive deficiencies in quality assurance. This is done to bring the quality of biology articles to an acceptable level. Please help to improve this article! Products are not significantly improved, may optionally be deleted.
Read also the more detailed information in the minimum requirements in biology articles.
Genetic Use Restriction Technology ( GURT ) refers to technologies that limit the spread and propagation of genetically modified plants, or prevent. These technologies include different molecular strategies that either the characteristic values of genetically modified characteristics ( trait- GURTs, or T - GURTs ) or the reproductive capacity of the plant ( varietal - GURTs, short V- GURTs ) influence. A saatgutsterilisierende V BELT is often referred to as terminator technology.
GURTs are in the research and development stage. Some techniques have already been patented, but so far no BELT has been implemented in a marketable plant variety. It is still questionable whether the GURTs at all suitable for use instead of serving as a basis for further research. Since the 5th Conference of the Parties ( 2000), the Convention on Biological Diversity is also considered a de facto ban on field trials of GURTs in the Contracting States.
Objectives and methods
GURTs were developed with the aim of ensuring the protection of intellectual property for breeders and seed producers, and to prevent the growth of the seed by farmers. (Varieties and patent protection). Also wanted to thereby provide a stronger incentive breeding. In addition, the costs incurred in the enforcement of patent rights transaction costs would disappear.
T- GURTs control the expression of a particular genetically modified trait in plants. The plants remain fertile here and also develop viable seeds. T- GURTs reduce the expression of the transgene and thus the appearance of the associated properties at the phenotypic level. T- GURTs not reduce the frequency with which the genetically modified gene occurs in the genotype of future generations.
At T- GURTs, a particular genetically related property - for example, salt tolerance - are triggered when seed purchase or at a later date by an offer from the seed producers chemical activator. Syngenta received 2001 in the USA, a first patent on this technology.
V- GURTs hinder the re- seeding and proliferation of varieties. For this purpose, the development of the plant, the seeds or the pollen is either inhibited, sterilized, or spread prevented. Among the techniques include changing the seed ( distribution, size, color, sterility) and vegetative growth ( lethality, reduced fitness, flower) and viability of pollen and chloroplast heritability.
V- GURTs could in particular for self-pollinating crops such as wheat, barley, soybean and cotton are, as these hybrid breeding is difficult and thus would be given the opportunity to improve the effective plant variety protection.
Furthermore, unwanted cross-pollination could be prevented by using V- GURTs. However, this potential as well as potential ecological risks are still very poorly understood.
Terminator technology
After the USDA and the seed producer Delta and Pine Land (now Monsanto) a patent received in March 1998 in the U.S. on a jointly developed V- GURT seed sterility named Technology Protection System, this was supported by the Canadian NGO Rural Advancement Foundation International ( RAFI, now the ETC Group ) as " terminator technology ". Under this name the technology was known for seed sterility in public. Parts of science, some governments and NGOs have expressed concerns since grown against the possible use of V- GURTs, as this would jeopardize their opinion, food security, biodiversity and access to technology. The false assumption that a Terminator technology was introduced into varieties, motivated, among other things, the destruction of field trials with Bt cotton in the late 1990s in India by non-governmental organizations.
Is used in this technology, the bacterial Cre / loxP system, which allows the excision of DNA fragments from the genome via non-homologous recombination. The sequence to be removed by loxP sequences is included, the Cre recombinase crosses the intervening sequence. Terminator in plant expression of the Cre recombinase is induced, for example, the tetracycline repressor system, and removes the blocking sequence. This is from a seed- specific promoter (e.g., LEA) and a lethal gene, such as the cytotoxic ribosome inhibitory protein. The plants are so grown for seed production and prior to the sale of seeds, the Cre recombinase is induced to sell so sterile seeds can.
Economic Effects
GURTs are a biological mechanism for the protection of intellectual property rights and thus provide an incentive for private research and development. Depending on the strength of property rights can vary both the size and the distribution of welfare gains between seed companies, farmers and consumers. Assuming that the protection is unlimited by GURTs (unlike patents ), the degree of protection of GURTs is for the simulated scenario of widespread use in the U.S. corn sector to the social optimum.
Although GURTs can accelerate the development of improved seeds, but at the same time complicate its diffusion, especially in developing countries. A simulation based on the experience with hybrid seed suggests that the widespread use of GURTs in industrialized countries and larger developing countries like China would be worthwhile in terms of productivity growth, but not in the Least Developed Countries. There, the negative productivity effects would be slowed by diffusion outweigh the positive effects on productivity by accelerating the development of improved seeds.
Due to the high economic advantages associated with GUR techniques further market concentration would be supported in favor of a minority of manufacturers. Varieties that promise less commercial benefits could disappear from the market, thereby further decrease the genetic and biological diversity.