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Flavonoid profiling among wild type and related GM wheat varieties

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Abstract

Pleiotropic effects are one of the main concerns regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This includes unintended side effects of the transgene or its genome insertion site on the regulation of other endogenous genes, which could potentially cause the accumulation of different secondary metabolites that may have not only an impact on diet as repeatedly worried by the public but also on the environment. Regarding amount and possible environmental effects, flavonoids represent the most prominent group of secondary metabolites in wheat. Many flavonoids function as signalling or defence molecules. We used a robust and reproducible analytical method to compare the flavonoid content of genetically modified (GM) wheat (Triticum aestivum L., Gramineae) expressing genes that confer increased fungal resistance with their non-GM siblings. The transgenes provide either a broad-spectrum fungal defence (chitinase/glucanase from barley) or bunt-specific resistance by a viral gene (KP4). Significant differences in flavonoid composition were found between different wheat varieties whereas different lines of GM wheat with increased antifungal resistance showed only minor differences in their flavonoid composition relative to their non-GM siblings. In a field test, no significant differences were detectable between infected and non-infected wheat of the same variety regardless of the presence of the transgene. Our results are in agreement with the hypothesis that the transgenes we used to increase wheat defence to fungal pathogens do not interfere with the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. More significantly, the genetic background resulting from conventional breeding has a direct impact on the biological composition of flavonoids, and thus possibly on the environment.

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Abbreviations

APCI:

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation

Arb:

Arbitrary units

CID:

Collision induced dissociation energy

DAD:

Diode array detector

ESI:

Electrospray ionisation

GMO:

Genetically modified organism

HPLC/UV:

High pressure liquid chromatography w. ultra violet detection

HPLC/MS:

High pressure liquid chromatography w. mass spectrometer

LN2 :

Liquid nitrogen

PCA:

Principal component analysis

RH:

Relative humidity

RT:

Room temperature

SPE:

Solid phase extraction

Wt:

Wild type

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Elke Fenner for technical assistance, Katalin Konya and Sabine Klarer for the propagation and maintenance of our plants in the greenhouse and Catherine Werlen for help during the initial stage of the experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie et Phytochimie, Ecole Romande de Pharmacie Genève-Lausanne, Université de Genève, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, Geneva 4, 1211, Switzerland

    Jean-Robert Ioset, Karine Ndjoko-Ioset, Frédéric Martin & Kurt Hostettmann

  2. Institute of Plant Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstr. 2, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland

    Bartosz Urbaniak, Judith Wirth, Wilhelm Gruissem & Christof Sautter

Authors
  1. Jean-Robert Ioset
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  2. Bartosz Urbaniak
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  3. Karine Ndjoko-Ioset
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  4. Judith Wirth
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  5. Frédéric Martin
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  6. Wilhelm Gruissem
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  7. Kurt Hostettmann
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  8. Christof Sautter
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Correspondence to Christof Sautter.

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Ioset, JR., Urbaniak, B., Ndjoko-Ioset, K. et al. Flavonoid profiling among wild type and related GM wheat varieties. Plant Mol Biol 65, 645–654 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-007-9229-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-007-9229-9

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