Metabolic effects of glyphosate on transgenic maize expressing a G2-EPSPS gene from Pseudomonas fluorescens

  • Yunjun Liu
  • Yuwen Zhang
  • Yan Liu
  • Wei Lu
  • Guoying Wang
Original Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Transgenic glyphosate-tolerant maize expressing 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) gene has been commercialized since 1996. However, it is not very clear how glyphosate treatment affects metabolite pathway in transgenic glyphosate-tolerant maize. Here, we obtained numerous of glyphosate-tolerant transgenic maize expressing a Pseudomonas fluorescens G2-EPSPS gene. The expression and integration site of G2-EPSPS in transgenic maize event Aro203, which can tolerate 3 folds of field usage of glyphosate, were investigated. Metabolite analysis was performed with Aro203 leaf samples using GC/MS method. The results showed that total 58 metabolites were identified. Over-expression of G2-EPSPS led to the increase of glutamate, malate, hydroxylamine and trehalose contents, but the decrease of glyoxylate, ribose and sucrose, compared to wild type plants. Twenty-two and 13 metabolites were up-regulated and down-regulated in non-transgenic maize by glyphosate treatments, respectively, whereas fewer metabolites (10 up-regulated and 4 down-regulated) were affected in transgenic maize. Glyphosate treatment significantly stimulated the accumulation of most amino acids but decreased lots of sugars in non-transgenic plants. The PCA analysis results showed that wild type plant cluster treated with glyphosate was clearly separated with other three clusters. The results in this study provide evidence to understand how genetic modification or glyphosate treatment affects the metabolite pathway in maize.

Keywords

Maize EPSPS Glyphosate-tolerance Metabolite 

Abbreviations

EPSPS

5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase

PEP

Phosphoenolpyruvic acid

S3P

3-phosphoshikimic acid

rbcS

rib-1,5-bisphospate carboxylase

GC-MS

Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

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Notes

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Minhui Li from Inner Mongolia University of Science &Technology for the GC/MS analysis. This work was supported by the National Major Project for Transgenic Organism Breeding 2013ZX08010-004.

Supplementary material

13562_2014_263_MOESM1_ESM.doc (32 kb)
Supplemental Table 1 (DOC 32 kb)
13562_2014_263_MOESM2_ESM.doc (78 kb)
Supplemental Table 2 (DOC 78 kb)
13562_2014_263_MOESM3_ESM.doc (27 kb)
Supplemental Fig. 1 (DOC 27 kb)

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Copyright information

© Society for Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Yunjun Liu
    • 1
  • Yuwen Zhang
    • 1
    • 2
  • Yan Liu
    • 1
  • Wei Lu
    • 3
  • Guoying Wang
    • 1
  1. 1.Institute of Crop SciencesChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
  2. 2.College of Agriculture and BiotechnologyChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
  3. 3.Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina

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