Genetically-Manipulated Crop Pollen Bystander Effects
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Genetically Modified Crops: Pollen Bystander Effects
by Prof. Joe Cummins
Emeritus Professor of Genetics, Department of Plant Sciences, University
of Western Ontario
June 13, 1999
Millions of acres of genetically modified (GM) crops are being produced
in the United States and Canada. Crops including corn, canola, potato,
cotton and a range of other release clouds of pollen into the air. Such
pollen can spread on the wind over miles from the almost endless fields
in the prairies of North America. The air born pollen produces a
bystander effect that effects people and animals within the area of the
farms and the large cities of the farming area. The pollen will be
breathed or ingested with food upon which the pollen settles. Risk
assessment of genetically engineered crops has ignored the impact of
such GM pollen or has falsely claimed that the impact is negligible
without even looking at data or background studies. GM pollen,
particularly the pollen taken into the airway creates a unique threat
that should be evaluated now and should have been evaluated prior to
release of the GM crops.
Pollen breathed tends to lodge in the upper lung, ultimately the lodged
pollen will be discharged with mucous or dissolved in the lung. The fate
of pollen in the airway has not been studied thoroughly enough
considering the importance of pollen allergy. However, it is most
prudent to consider both the surface antigens on the pollen grain and
the contents of the pollen cell as possible antigens. Currently the most
common pollen antigens have been identified as calcium binding proteins,
profilins (proteins associated with actin) and glycoproteins of high
molecular weight (1). GM pollen may also contain unique antigens and
cellular toxins unique to the genetic construction that are unique to
the genetic construction and its placement in the airway. Toxins such as
Bt toxin may prove to be allergens or to show toxicity different from
the behavior of the protein in the gut. Along with the Bt toxin enzymes
for herbicide tolerance or antibiotic resistance may be allergens when
placed in the lung. In animal experiments nasal immunization with DNA is
very effective (2) suggesting that the nucleic acid content of GM pollen
may create unique allergens or autoimmune response. Every construction
includes genes from viruses including promoter, enhancers and
terminators such genes are essential for the inserted commercial gene to
function, antibiotic resistance genes are frequently included to aid in
selecting recombinant cells used to establish commercial plants.
Pollen allergy is very commonplace , corn pollen can cause allergic
response both by air (3) and by ingestion (4). Canola pollen is highly
allergenic (1). Pollen allergy has been associated with allergy to
vegetables apple, potato, carrot and other vegetables (5). GM pollen is
likely to open a n extended range of allergy and may cause autoimmune
disease or other kinds of toxicity. Those living in the farming areas of
the United States or Canada can avoid GM crops by buying organic foods,
but those people cannot avoid being exposed to the bystander impact of
inhaling or ingesting GM pollen. It is not too late to insist that
efforts be made to evaluate the impact of GM pollen. Such evaluation
should be done aside from the biased advocates of genetic engineering
dominating government agencies in the United States and Canada.
References
1.Focke,M,Hemmer,W.,Hayek,B.,Gotz,M,Jarisch,R. Identification of
allergens in oil rapeseed Int. Arch. Allergy Immunolog 117,105-12,1998
2 Etchart,N,Buckland,R,Liu,M,Wild,T,Kaisertain,D Class I-restricted CTL
induction by mucosal immunization with naked DNA encoding measles virus
haemagglutinin J Gen Virol 78,1577-80,1997
3.Kalveram,K and Forck,G. Cross reactivity between grass and corn
pollen antigens Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol 57,549-53,1978
4.Freeman,G. Oral corn pollen hypersensitivity Ann Allergy
72,415-7,1994
5,Caballero,T and Martin-Estaban,M Association between pollen
hypersensitivity and edible vegetable allergy J Investig Allergol Clin
Immunol 8,6-16, 1998
http://www.soyinfo.com/haz/pollen.shtml