Search

Biodiesel is a low-carbon-intensity renewable fuel with up to 99% lower greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum-based diesel. The use of oil crops for biodiesel is under critical examination. It is expensive and suffers from the food versus fuel risk/benefit problem. Consequently, many countries (e.g. Malaysia and countries in the EU) are scaling back the use of oil crops as feedstock for biofuel production. The limitations of these traditional crops are leading the renewable fuels industry to consider innovative, sustainable, and profitable biomass-based platforms. Plant genetic engineering and other new breeding technologies are essential for developing such biomass-based platforms because they enhance plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, resulting in higher feedstock yields, greater net energy gain, and the generation of high-value co-products. We review and summarize the recent improvements of oil crops through plant genetic engineering that may increase widespread and cost-effective production of biodiesel and value-added co-products for green chemistry applications. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

To evaluate the presence of contaminating nonhost proteins in commercially prepared rice and maize starch samples, we initiated a direct sequencing mass spectrometric proteomics survey. We discovered nonhost proteins from a variety of species, including Phytophthora cinnamomi, Homarus americanus, and Ovis aries. Our documentation of H. americanus proteins in these starch samples may have food safety implications with regard to shellfish allergies. We hypothesize that these proteins were introduced to the starch samples via process wash water used in the milling and deproteination steps in the commercial preparation of the starches analyzed. The introduction of nonhost proteins during commercial processing of starch samples that are used routinely in analytical studies indicates that these studies are using impure materials. Therefore, further study and documentation of the starch samples is required to ensure that all components of the samples are properly catalogued.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic (KMD1) and non-transgenic (KMD1's parental variety Xiushui 11) rice flours were assessed in a 90day feeding test with rats. KMD1 contained a synthetic crylAb gene from Bt, and selection marker genes nptll and hpt linked in tandem. In the ≤64 g kg -1 body weight (BW) dosage range (Bt transgenic rice flour composed 64% of the ingredients of the diet), no adverse effects of Bt rice on rats were observed in terms of animal behaviour, weight gain and feed utilisation rate. Necropsy at the end of the experiment indicated that neither pathological lesions nor histopathological abnormalities were present in organs such as liver, kidneys, intestines and testes of rats in both test and control groups by macroscopic and microscopic pathology. In addition, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in relative organ weights, haemograms and blood indices of rats between test and control groups. Several serum parameters of female rats were found to be significantly different between Bt and non-Bt diets, but the values of these parameters were still within the normal ranges of values for rats of this age and sex. These results demonstrated that Bt rice flour at a dosage of 64 g kg -1 BW, Bt toxin and NPTII and HPT proteins have no toxic effects on rats. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) est une bacterie qui est utilisee en tant qu'insecticide biologique depuis 50 ans. Cette etude etablit, dans un premier temps, une evaluation toxicologique de farine issue de grains de riz ayant un gene cry1Ab de Bt. Les resultats montrent que la farine de riz modifie, donnee en alimentation a des rats pendant 90 jours a 64g/kg de poids corporel, la toxine Bt et les proteines enzymatiques produites n'ont pas d'effet toxique sur les rats.

The Bt transgenic rice line, i.e. KMD1 containing a synthetic cry 1 Ab gene from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner was tested in the laboratory for evaluating its effects on larval food consumption, growth and survival of striped stem borer (SSB), Chilo suppressalis (Walker) under different temperatures. The food consumption and body weight growth as well as the survival of both 3rd and 5th instar larvae fed on Bt rice were significantly reduced, as compared with those on the control. The temperature showed no marked effect on both food consumption and body weight growth of larvae fed on Bt rice stems since the onset of 3rd instar, conversely had significant effects as since the initial stage of 5th instar. In contrast, the temperature did not distinctly influence the survival of both 3rd and 5th instar larvae. There was a linearly positive relationship between the corrected mortality of larvae and the accumulative amount of Bt rice tissues ingested by larvae.

The genomic clone named Bp10 contains a member of a small pollen-specific gene family of B. napus. The expression of the Bp10 gene family is maximal in early binucleate microspores and declines considerably in mature trinucleate pollen. Homologues of the Bp10 genes are expressed in the pollen of other plant species. The pollen-specific expression of the gene contained in the genomic clone was confirmed in tobacco plants transformed with a chimeric Bp10 promoter/GUS construct. A promoter fragment of 396 bp is sufficient to direct a strong and correct spatial and temporal expression in transgenic plants. The Bp10 gene family codes for proteins of 62 kDa showing approximately 30% sequence identify to cucumber and pumpkin ascorbate oxidases (AAOs). However, the AAO active centres are not conserved in the Bp10 products, suggesting an evolutionary relationship but a different enzymatic activity for these proteins. Expression of a recombinant Bp10 protein in E. coli inhibits bacterial growth on minimal medium, suggesting the production of an enzymatically active polypeptide in bacteria. No AAO activity could be correlated with the expression of the recombinant protein. Moreover, substances affecting AAO activity do not appear to influence the inhibitory activity of the protein produced in bacteria. However, as indicated by the rescue of bacterial growth in the presence of sodium bicarbonate or gaseous CO2, the Bp10 protein activity could be modulated by CO2 levels.