Transgenic and conventional Brazilian soybeans don't cause or prevent preneoplastic colon lesions or oxidative stress in a 90-day in vivo study / Sojas transgênicas e convencionais brasileiras não causam ou previnem lesões pré-neoplásicas ou stress oxidativo em estudo in vivo de 90 dias

OBJECTIVE: The study presents the results of a 90-day safety assessment of rats fed with four varieties of soybeans, BRS 245 RR and BRS Valiosa RR (transgenic), BRS 133 and MG BR46 Conquista (non-transgenic). METHODS: Diets were prepared by incorporating toasted soybean flour to a commercial diet at 1%, 10% or 20% weight In the in vivo experimental the rats' body weight, body weight gain, food consumption, number of aberrant crypt foci, oxidative stress biomarkers, urea and creatinine levels were analyzed and compared between experimental groups, as well as histopathological observations (digestive tract, liver, kidneys). RESULTS: The results indicate that glyphosate-tolerant soy varieties neither induce nor prevent aberrant crypt foci induction, nor do their conventional counterparts. Similarly, none of the four soybean varieties tested induced changes in the digestive tract, liver or kidney. Serum biochemical parameters were also unchanged. CONCLUSION: The consumption of both, conventional and transgenic soybeans, were insufficient to ameliorate dimethylhydrazine-induced oxidative stress.

OBJETIVO: Este estudo apresenta os resultados de um experimento de 90 dias com o objetivo de avaliar a segurança de quatro variedades de grãos de soja: BRS 245 RR e BRS Valiosa RR (transgênicas), BRS 133 e MG BR46 Conquista (não transgênicas). MÉTODOS: As dietas foram preparadas incorporando farinha de grãos de soja à dieta comercial (FRI-LAB Ratos II) a 1%, 10% ou 20% m/m. O peso corpóreo dos animais, o ganho de peso, o consumo de dieta, o número de focos de criptas aberrantes e os níveis de marcadores de estresse oxidativo, de creatinina e de ureia foram comparados entre os grupos experimentais, assim como as observações histopatológicas (trato digestivo, fígado e rins). RESULTADOS: Os resultados indicaram que as variantes glifosato-tolerantes não induziram ou preveniram a indução de focos de criptas aberrantes, assim como suas parentais convencionais. Similarmente, nenhuma das quatro variedades de grãos de soja testadas induziu alterações no trato digestivo, no fígado e nos rins. Os parâmetros bioquímicos do soro permaneceram também inalterados. CONCLUSÃO: Tanto o consumo de grãos de soja convencionais quanto o de transgênicos foram ineficazes para melhorar os níveis de estresse oxidativo induzidos pela dimetilhidrazina.

Produtividade de grãos da soja em função do manejo de herbicida e fungicidas / Soybean grain yield in response to herbicide and fungicides

Com a introdução da soja resistente ao glifosato, ocorreu mudança no manejo da cultura, principalmente com relação ao manejo das plantas invasoras. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos da aplicação de diferentes manejos de herbicidas e fungicidas sobre o rendimento de grãos e os componentes do rendimento da soja. O experimento foi conduzido no ano agrícola 2006/2007, na área experimental do Departamento de Fitotecnia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. Foram utilizadas quatro cultivares de soja Roundup ReadyTM ('NK Mireya 4.2 RR', 'Fundacep 55 RR', 'NK Mágica 7.3 RR' e 'A 8100 RG'), dois manejos de herbicida (Clethodim + Bentazon e outro com glifosato), dois manejos de doenças constituídos com a aplicação de fungicida (Tebuconazole + Tiofanato Metílico) e sem o tratamento. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso com parcela subsubdivididas, com quatro repetições. Foram avaliados o rendimento de grãos e os componentes do rendimento. As cultivares responderam diferentemente ao manejo de herbicidas e fungicidas para produção de grãos; as cultivares que foram afetadas pelo manejo de herbicida obtiveram maior produtividade com a aplicação de glifosato, efeito que também foi observado com a aplicação de fungicida. As cultivares mais e menos produtivas apresentaram o maior e o menor peso de grãos, respectivamente. A aplicação de fungicida aumentou o índice de colheita.

With the introduction of the resistant soybeans to the glyphosate changed the management of the culture, mainly for management of the weed. This work was developed with the objective of evaluate the effect of the different management systems of herbicides and fungicides in grain yield and yield components of the soybean. The experiment was carried in the agricultural year of 2006/2007, at the Experimental Area of Department of Phytotecny of the Santa Maria Federal University. It was used, four soybean cultivars Roundup ReadyTM ('NK Mireya 4.2 RR', 'Fundacep 55 RR', 'NK Mágica 7.3 RR' and 'A 8100 RG'), two herbicide management (Clethodim + Bentazon and with glyphosate) and two fungicides management with application (Tebuconazole + Tiofanato Metílico) and without treatment. The experiment design was randomized blocks with splitsplitplot plot, with four replications. It was evaluated the grain yield and components of yield. The cultivars showed different responses to the management of herbicide and fungicides, for grain yield, cultivars that were affected by the herbicide management showed higher productivity with the application of glyphosate. The effect also was observed with the application of fungicide. The cultivars more and less productive presented the highest and lowest grain weight respectively. Fungicide application increased the harvest index.

Transformação genética e aplicação de glifosato na microbiota do solo, fixação biológica de nitrogênio, qualidade e segurança de grãos de soja geneticamente modificada / Genetic transformation and the use glyphosate on soil microbial, biological nitrogen fixation, quality and safety of genetically modified soybean

A soja geneticamente modificada resistente ao herbicida glifosato (GM RR) é o principal produto da biotecnologia vegetal, considerando-se a evolução da área cultivada e o consumo desse grão. Os Estados Unidos, a Argentina e o Brasil são os maiores produtores de soja GM RR. A liberação para cultivo da soja GM RR no Brasil foi efetivada com base, quase que exclusivamente, em trabalhos realizados em outros países, sem a devida validação nas condições edafoclimáticas locais. Nesse contexto, buscou-se coletar e analisar os principais trabalhos que versam sobre impacto ambiental, metabolismo da planta, qualidade e segurança da soja GM RR tratada e não tratada com glifosato. De modo geral, os trabalhos analisados apresentam algumas características comuns: a) avaliam poucas variáveis; e b) inferem, a partir de simulação com ensaios em casa de vegetação ou in vitro, possíveis respostas no cultivo comercial. Embora ainda escassos, os estudos realizados apontam para o fato de que a transformação genética não afeta os microrganismos do solo, nem a fixação biológica de nitrogênio, nem a composição dos grãos. O fator que pode afetar essas variáveis é a aplicação do glifosato no controle de plantas daninhas, ou seja, os riscos de perigo ao ambiente e à segurança dos produtos derivados dessa matéria-prima se devem ao insumo aplicado durante o cultivo, e não à transformação genética propriamente dita.

The genetically modified soybean resistant to glyphosate (GM RR) is the main product of plant biotechnology, considering the evolution of the area cultivated and the use of this grain. EUA, Argentina and Brazil are the largest producers of GM RR. The release of GM RR soybean cultivation in Brazil was done based on researches that were accomplished in other countries without the validation of the same edaphoclimatic conditions. In this context, the main researches about environmental impact, plant metabolism, quality and safety of GM RR soybean with or without glyphosate application were collected and investigated. In general, the researches investigated showed some similar characteristics: a) few variables were studied; b) simulations in green house or in vitro are used to infer possible response on the field. Although scarce, the researches denoted that the genetic transformation did not affect soil microorganisms, biological nitrogen fixation and composition of grains. The factor which could affect these variables is the glyphosate application in weed control, thus the risk of damage to the environment and the safety of products derived from this raw materialare due to the use of the herbicide during cultivation, and not to the genetic transformation. Key words: Transgenic soybean, soil microorganisms, herbicides residue, isoflavones.

Resistance to Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) in transgenic soybean (Glycine max (L) Merrill Fabales, Fabaceae) cultivar IAS5 expressing a modified Cry1Ac endotoxin

Somatic embryos of the commercial soybean (Glycine max) cultivar IAS5 were co-transformed using particle bombardment with a synthetic form of the Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin crystal protein gene cry1Ac, the beta-glucuronidase reporter gene gusA and the hygromycin resistance gene hpt. Hygromycin-resistant tissues were proliferated individually to give rise to nine sets of clones corresponding to independent transformation events. The co-bombardment resulted in a co-transformation efficiency of 44 percent. Many histodifferentiated embryos and 30 well-developed plants were obtained. Twenty of these plants flowered and fourteen set seeds. The integration and expression of the cry1Ac, gusA and hpt transgenes into the genomes of a sample of transformed embryos and all T0, T1, T2 and T3 plants were confirmed by Gus activity, PCR, Southern and western blot, and ELISA techniques. Two T0 plants out of the seven co-transformed plants produced seeds and were analyzed for patterns of integration and inheritance until the T3 generation. Bioassays indicated that the transgenic plants were highly toxic to the velvetbean caterpillar Anticarsia gemmatalis, thus offering a potential for effective insect resistance in soybean.

Gene flow from transgenic to nontransgenic soybean plants in the Cerrado region of Brazil

Evaluation of transgenic crops under field conditions is a fundamental step for the production of genetically engineered varieties. In order to determine if there is pollen dispersal from transgenic to nontransgenic soybean plants, a field release experiment was conducted in the Cerrado region of Brazil. Nontransgenic plants were cultivated in plots surrounding Roundup Ready transgenic plants carrying the cp4 epsps gene, which confers herbicide tolerance against glyphosate herbicide, and pollen dispersal was evaluated by checking for the dominant gene. The percentage of cross-pollination was calculated as a fraction of herbicide-tolerant and -nontolerant plants. The greatest amount of transgenic pollen dispersion was observed in the first row, located at one meter from the central (transgenic) plot, with a 0.52% average frequency. The frequency of pollen dispersion decreased to 0.12% in row 2, reaching 0% when the plants were up to 10 m distance from the central plot. Under these conditions pollen flow was higher for a short distance. This fact suggests that the management necessary to avoid cross-pollination from transgenic to nontransgenic plants in the seed production fields should be similar to the procedures currently utilized to produce commercial seeds.