Monitoring of possible horizontal gene transfer from transgenic potatoes to soil microorganisms in the potato fields and the emergence of variants in Phytophthora infestans

To examine the possibility of horizontal gene transfer between transgenic potatoes and microorganisms in potato fields, the gene flow from transgenic potatoes containing the nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2 (NDPK2) gene to microorganisms in soils was investigated. The soil samples collected from the potato fields from March to October 2007 were examined by PCR, Southern hybridization, and AFLP fingerprinting. The NDPK2 gene from soil genomic DNAs was not detected by both PCR and Southern hybridization, indicating that gene transfer did not occur in the potato fields. In addition, no discrepancy was found in pathogenicity and noticeable changes for the appearance of variants of Phytophthora infestans in each generation when serial inoculations and the analysis of genomic DNAs by AFLP were conducted. Thus, these data suggest that transgenic potatoes do not give significant impacts on the communities of soil microorganisms and the emergence of variants, although continued research efforts may be necessary to make a decisive conclusion.