" In the end, doing a simple PCR confirms or denies the presence of the transgene"

Are they really doing PCR analyses on every plant to separate the ones that have the antibiotic from the ones that don't????  The original question was how to sift through a planting for those individuals that carry the gene....right?

When they couple the marker gene to a fluorescent marker, two things can happen:  One, all your plants with the gene of interest also give  genetically modified plants the ability to break down a poisonous substance.....everywhere.  Good, or bad for production uses?  I don't know.

Two, the marker gene can decouple through recombination or other replication events that separate the marker from the gene of interest.  I don't believe this is a common occurence in plants, but it happens.  Then you have a gene (the antibiotic one) in a plant without a marker, and vice versa.

Christina

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html