Phil Earle wrote:
> For those who may be unfamiliar with the concepts, basically genes
>(forgein or self) can be inserted, removed or modified.  The fear from the
>general public is that the insertion of forgein genes along with antibiotic
>markers used in clonning processes may cause problems later in food
>chains etc....  I understand these fears,  but if genes relating to antibiotic
>restance were removed or not used at all and the modifications involved
>adding more of the same bee DNA or removing DNA  would that be
>acceptible ?

        No.  The processes used for these gene-tamperings are so radically
different from any natural biological process that the gene-insertion
processes themselves can cause unforeseen, indeed unforeseeable, deviant
metabolism in the target cells.  Study the brief account at
http://www.i-sis.org/tryptophan.shtml  -  this is one of the several cases
known.


>What would happen if someone discovered a gene that could confer or
>help with resistance to honeybees against varroa.  For example, supose
>the gene/s controlling hygenic behaviour were found.  Over expression by
>adding more copies of the gene or  knocking out any inhibitory control (if it
>exists) on the hygenic gene  could produce a super hygenic bee.

        The assumptions here are a travesty of biology.   Genes are  NOT
Lego modules that can be plugged into foreign organisms with predictable
consequences.  For some detail see http://www.psrast.org/
(as I have previously recommended).


>If the attraction between larvae and varroa mite was
>removed then a resistant bee would emerge.  Again, by knocking out
>specific genes related to larval karamone production by transgenic
>methods (note - not adding any forgein or antibiotic DNA) then maybe a
>resistant bee could be produced.

        This is a typical superficially plausible gene-jockey concept.
There are very many things that could go wrong with any attempt to
implement it.


>Swarming?  what would happen if queen substance could be over
>produced by over expressing genes involved, the urge for swarming would
>be reduced - bees that dont swarm? good or bad?  not too good for feral
>populations.

        ditto


>You have to realize that identifying genes and understanding the complex
>relationships between genes and their products is by no means an easy
>task and is  very expensive.

        full agreement here


>  Once genes are identified and clonned then
>transgenic  honeybees will become a reality, its already been achived in
>fruit  flies!

        The fruit fly _Drosophila_ has been far more studied by geneticists
and biochemists than any bee.
And what gene-splicing capers have achieved anything useful, even in the
fruit fly?


R


-
Robt Mann
consultant ecologist
   P O Box 28878  Remuera, Auckland 1005, New Zealand
                (9) 524 2949