Rice Production Course

Transgenic rice and biosafety procedures

D.S. Brar

PGPB, IRRI

Rice Production Course

IRRI: Rice Production Course

Learning objectives

• To describe general methods for rice improvement• To describe genetic improvement of rice• To define and describe transgenic rice• To describe a brief history of transgenics in rice• To explain production, characterization and evaluation

of transgenic rice


Option 1 Management practices– Agronomic practices (sowing, fertilizer, water, soil

preparation, etc.)– Integrated Pest Management (IPM)– Integrated nutrient management– Post harvest losses (drying, storage, etc.)

Option 2 Genetic improvement

Option 3 Combination of options 1 and 2

Can anyone describe methods for rice improvement?


What are the methods for genetic improvement of rice?

1. Conventional breeding methods– Hybridization, backcrossing, selection and

evaluation of progenies

2. Wide hybridization (rice x wild species)

3. Tissue culture (anther culture, somatic cell culture)


4. Mutation (create new variation)

5. Molecular breeding (use of molecular markers)

6. Transformation (genetic engineering)– Introducing transgene/foreign genes through

recombinant DNA technique but not through sexual hybridization


Can anyone define “transgenic rice”?

Broadly speaking refers to any rice plant that carries foreign gene (s) introduced through genetic engineering techniques

The transgene could be from a micro-organisms and different plants


Gene = introduced directly into cultured cells (callus) and/or organs (immature embryo) using biolistic or Agrobacterium methods of transformation

Rice plants are regenerated from transformed cells and progenies and tested for the desirable agronomic trait (s) (eg. stem borer resistance)

Transgenic rice


Transgenic rice = commonly referred as GM (genetically modified) rice Transgenics are released into environment after series of biosafety tests

Biosafety = safety of living organisms (human, microorganisms, plants, animals & insects,…)

IRRI follows biosafety guidelines of NCBP, Philippines.

Transgenic rice


A schematic protocol for production of fertile transgenic plants using:

• biolistic systems,

• protoplast systems

• Agrobacterium systems

(Datta,et al.)


Brief history of transgenics in rice

Transgenic rice first produced in 1988

Two methods commonly used to produce transgenics

Biolistic Agrobacterium mediated

Both indica and japonica varieties have been transformed


Transgenic rice have been produced carrying genes for:

herbicide resistance, bacterial blight, virus, sheath blight resistance stem borer resistance high iron, golden rice No commercial release of transgenic rice


Transgenic rice – production, characterization and evaluation

1. Transgene availability – local or imported

2. Insertion into the elite line

3. Growing of transgenics in containment facility (CL4), low level containment facility (screen house)

4. Characterization and evaluation of transgenics (based on agronomic and molecular chracteristics)

5. Commercial release of transgenics


Transgenic rice with Xa21 gene showing resistance to bacterial blight


Transgenic rice (golden rice) with psy, crtl, lcy genes possessing B-carotene


Transgenic rice with Bt gene showing resistance to stem borer


Some examples of transgenic rice produced at IRRI

Trait Transgene(s) Status

Bacterial blight Xa21 Field tested in India, China

and Philippines

Stem borer resistanceBt (cry1A, 1B, 1C,

etc)Field tested in China. Bt genes

introduced into many cultivars

Sheath blight resistance

Chitinase Transgenics show increased

tolerance to sheath blight

Abiotic stress tolerance

DREB Transgenics produced are

under evaluation

Golden rice

(ß-carotene) psy, cry1, lcy

Many varieties transformed.

Backcrossing used to introduce

into other varieties by NARES


Transgenic rice and biosafety

Biosafety component Activity (ties)

Food and health safetyAssessment of GM rice for toxicity, allergenicity and nutritional imbalance

Environmental safety

Effect of GM rice on:• beneficial insects• soil micro-organisms• non-target species (plants, animals, microbes)• Gene flow from transgenic to non-transgenic rice and

wild species of Oryza• Development of resistance to pests

Capacity building on biosafety of GM rice

• Training courses/workshop on risk

assessment, regulatory processes and

public awareness• Detection of transgene(s) using PCR kits


Can anyone briefly summarize the importance of transgenic rice?

Questions or comments?

Rice Production Course

Documents

Transcript of Rice Production Course