• Question: How do you switch plant genes?

    Asked by to Jennifer, James on 14 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Jennifer Stephens

      Jennifer Stephens answered on 14 Jun 2014:

      Hi sammyrane123, do you mean how do you switch plant genes off and on?
      All genes have a promoter in front of them. A promoter is like an on/off switch that controls whether a gene is on or off in different cells. Sometimes a gene will be turned on in one part of a plant, like the roots but turned off in another part, like the shoots. This tells us that the gene is probably needed to help the roots to grow in soil.
      Other promoters may be switched on when the temperature gets too hot, or too cold. So the genes that these promoters are linked to would be switched on to help plants survive in harsh environments like deserts and at the North Pole.

    • Photo: James Taylor

      James Taylor answered on 24 Jun 2014:

      If you mean how do they make genetically modified organisms (GMOs) then traditionally they extracted the desired gene (trait) from one organism, coated it on a small (very very very small) projectile and fire it into the DNA of another organism. It is pretty hit and miss as to whether it ends up mutating into the DNA and is expressed as expected (that is the new organism has the desired trait).
      Nowadays there are some more advanced methods, like using bacteria (Agrobacterium) that attacks DNA as a vector (carrier) for a new gene. Again, this is hit and miss as to where the new gene ends up and if it is expressed properly.
      The latest developments are not about inserting new genes but using nanotechnology to edit the genes already in the organism (to affect the behaviour). This is a genetically modified organism, but we can’t detect it as all of its genes are its own. We are just changing the way that genes are expressed to our advantage.

Comments