Abstract
Quist and Chapela's conclusion1 that the transgenes they claim to have detected in native maize in Oaxaca, Mexico, are predominantly reassorted and inserted into a “diversity of genomic contexts” seems to be based on an artefact arising from the inverse polymerase chain reaction (i-PCR) they used to amplify sequences flanking 35S transgenes from cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV).
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Notes
Editorial note
In our 29 November issue, we published the paper “Transgenic DNA introgressed into traditional maize landraces in Oaxaca, Mexico” by David Quist and Ignacio Chapela. Subsequently, we received several criticisms of the paper, to which we obtained responses from the authors and consulted referees over the exchanges. In the meantime, the authors agreed to obtain further data, on a timetable agreed with us, that might prove beyond reasonable doubt that transgenes have indeed become integrated into the maize genome. The authors have now obtained some additional data, but there is disagreement between them and a referee as to whether these results significantly bolster their argument.
In light of these discussions and the diverse advice received, Nature has concluded that the evidence available is not sufficient to justify the publication of the original paper. As the authors nevertheless wish to stand by the available evidence for their conclusions, we feel it best simply to make these circumstances clear, to publish the criticisms, the authors' response and new data, and to allow our readers to judge the science for themselves.
Editor, Nature
References
Quist, D. & Chapela, I. H. Nature 414, 541–543 (2001).
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Chiueh, L., Chen, Y., Yu, J. & Shih, D. Y. J. Food Drug Anal. 9, 50–57 (2001).
Zimmerman, A., Luthy, L. & Pauli, U. Lebensm-Wiss. Technol. 33, 210–216 (2000).
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Kaplinsky, N., Braun, D., Lisch, D. et al. Maize transgene results in Mexico are artefacts (see editorial footnote). Nature 416, 601–602 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature739
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature739
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