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Safety of Genetically Modified Crops and Plant Functional Genomics
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Safety of Genetically Modified Crops and Plant Functional Genomics

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 3685

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xinwu Pei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: molecular breeding; genetics; transcriptome; safety of genetically modified crops
Dr. Lu Gan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: molecular breeding; transcriptome; fatty acid metabolism; miRNA

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since GM crops began to be grown commercially in 1996, remarkable economic and social benefits have been achieved. In recent years, the development and approval of GM crops and plants have significantly increased, and the crops have been released for commercial cultivation across the globe. This phenomenon is also associated with developments in genetic modification techniques such as genome editing, CRISPR, transcription-activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN), zinc-finger nucleases (ZNFs), RNA-directed DNA methylation, cisgenesis and intragenesis, RNA-editing, and gene transfer via gene gun or agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Currently, there is also a debate about the safety of GM plants.

For this Special Issue, we invite researchers to submit articles, reviews, opinions, and short communications, including functional genomics tools and approaches being developed and deployed to provide new options for advancing the breeding of next-generation crops. Studies that involve the development, risk assessment, and regulation of GM plants.

Dr. Xinwu Pei
Dr. Lu Gan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • genetically modified plants
  • GM regulation
  • GM risk assessment
  • functional genomics
  • genetic improvement

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 837 KiB  
Article
Cultivation of Genetically Modified Soybeans Did Not Alter the Overall Structure of Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Communities
by Wenjing Shen, Laipan Liu, Zhixiang Fang, Li Zhang, Zhentao Ren, Qi Yu, Xin Yin and Biao Liu
Plants 2025, 14(3), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14030457 - 4 Feb 2025
Viewed by 654
Abstract
Herbicide-tolerant soybeans are the most extensively cultivated genetically modified (GM) crop globally. The effects of GM soybean and associated agronomic practices on soil microbial communities remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the impact of planting GM soybeans with a glyphosate application [...] Read more.
Herbicide-tolerant soybeans are the most extensively cultivated genetically modified (GM) crop globally. The effects of GM soybean and associated agronomic practices on soil microbial communities remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the impact of planting GM soybeans with a glyphosate application on soil microbial diversity. The main bacterial and fungal community compositions (phylum level) were consistent for GM and non-GM soybeans. The alpha diversity analysis indicated that the bacterial Shannon index was significantly higher in GM rhizosphere soil during flowering compared to non-GM soil. There were no significant differences in the Shannon, Simpson, or ACE indices of the soil fungal communities between GM and non-GM soybeans in the same period. The PCoA analysis showed no significant differences in community structure between the GM and non-GM soybean soil for either fungi or bacteria during the same period. Although the relative abundance of Bradyrhizobium at the seedling stage was significantly lower in those GM than in those non-GM, it did not affect the final number of root nodules in either soybean type. The relative abundance of Frankia was significantly lower in GM rhizosphere soil during the seedling and flowering stages, whereas that of Thelebolus was significantly higher during flowering and pod filling. The abundance and ecological functions of these taxa warrant continuous monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Safety of Genetically Modified Crops and Plant Functional Genomics)
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13 pages, 2390 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Accumulation of Grain Mercury in Engineered Rice Lines Containing merA and merB Genes Under an Organic Mercury-Enriched Condition
by Deyao Meng, Zhaoze Song, Jinyuan Liu, Liyang Ji, Chen Chen and Changhu Wang
Plants 2025, 14(1), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14010066 - 28 Dec 2024
Viewed by 840
Abstract
Rice is a critical crop for human sustenance worldwide. Food security has increasingly attracted public concerns, particularly due to heavy metal pollution, which adversely impacts crop yield and quality, with cadmium and mercury being the primary culprits. Excessive soil mercury not only hampers [...] Read more.
Rice is a critical crop for human sustenance worldwide. Food security has increasingly attracted public concerns, particularly due to heavy metal pollution, which adversely impacts crop yield and quality, with cadmium and mercury being the primary culprits. Excessive soil mercury not only hampers rice’s growth and development but also leads to a substantial accumulation in grains, posing a significant threat to human health. To mitigate the issue, low-mercury germplasms in rice were developed by expressing bacterial merA and merB genes, which convert mercury to less toxic forms from its most hazardous organic form: methylmercury. While previous evaluations of transgenic lines were typically conducted in environments mimicking inorganic mercury enrichment, studies on their performance in organic mercury-rich conditions, such as year-round rice planting paddies, remain limited. In this study, merA and merB transgenic rice lines were cultivated in organic mercury-contaminated soil to evaluate their grain mercury accumulation. Results showed a reduction in total grain mercury contents across three transgenic lines. Notably, one combined merA and merB line exhibited decreased organic mercury accumulation, and a reduction in total mercury levels in its grains, highlighting its breeding potential as a low-mercury rice germplasm for breeding programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Safety of Genetically Modified Crops and Plant Functional Genomics)
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15 pages, 1696 KiB  
Article
An Integrated Strategy for Analyzing the Complete Complex Integrated Structure of Maize MON810 and Identification of an SNP in External Insertion Sequences
by Chunmeng Huang, Yongjun Zhang, Huilin Yu, Xiuping Chen and Jiajian Xie
Plants 2024, 13(16), 2276; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162276 - 15 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1213
Abstract
Genetically modified maize (Zea mays L.) MON810 was approved for importation into China for feed use in 2004; however, the localization data concerning exogenous insertion sequences, which confer insect resistance, have been questionable. MON810 maize plants discovered in northeastern China were used [...] Read more.
Genetically modified maize (Zea mays L.) MON810 was approved for importation into China for feed use in 2004; however, the localization data concerning exogenous insertion sequences, which confer insect resistance, have been questionable. MON810 maize plants discovered in northeastern China were used to analyze the molecular characteristics of the exogenous insertion. Using PacBio-HiFi sequencing and PCR assays, we found the insertion was located in chromosome 8, and there was a CaMV35S promoter, hsp70 intron, and insecticide gene cry1Ab, except for genome sequence insertion in the MON810 event. Importantly, the 5′ and 3′ flanking sequences were located in the region of 55869747–55879326 and 68416240–68419152 on chromosome 5, respectively. The results of this study correct previous results on the genomic localization of the insertion structure for the MON810 event. We also found a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the hsp70 intron, which is most likely the first SNP found in a transgenic insertion sequence. PCR amplification in conjunction with Sanger sequencing, allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR), and blocker displacement amplification (BDA) assays were all effective at detecting the base variance. The integrated strategy used in this study can serve as a model for other cases when facing similar challenges involving partially characterized genetic modification events or SNPs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Safety of Genetically Modified Crops and Plant Functional Genomics)
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Review

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11 pages, 496 KiB  
Review
Analysis of International Coexistence Management of Genetically Modified and Non-Genetically Modified Crops
by Caiyue Liu, Youhua Wang, Qiaoling Tang, Ning Li, Zhixing Wang, Tan Tan and Xujing Wang
Plants 2025, 14(6), 895; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14060895 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 360
Abstract
The coexistence of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops has been a subject of considerable concern, particularly in the context of the extensive utilisation of GM crops. In response to this concern, various countries have devised coexistence strategies that are tailored to their [...] Read more.
The coexistence of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops has been a subject of considerable concern, particularly in the context of the extensive utilisation of GM crops. In response to this concern, various countries have devised coexistence strategies that are tailored to their respective national contexts, taking into account economic, political, technological and public acceptability factors. In the context of planting, countries such as the United States and Brazil have adopted a strategy of coexistence management, whereby the responsibility for implementing isolation measures falls upon premium producers. In contrast, the European Union, Japan and other countries that import GM crops have enacted legislation requiring growers to adhere to stringent isolation measures to prevent the mixing of GM and non-GM crops. Internationally, GM products are distinguished by a labelling management system to satisfy the public’s right to know and choose and to realise the coexistence of GM and non-GM during circulation and consumption. When considered in the context of China’s specific national conditions, particularly the prevalence of a small-scale peasant economy, it is recommended that China draw upon the lessons learned from the field coexistence strategies employed in countries that have adopted GM planting. This recommendation involves the refinement and enhancement of existing labelling management practices as well as the formulation of a coexistence management policy that is characterised by cost savings, efficiency gains and robust operational capabilities. The implementation of these measures is expected to foster the commercialisation of GM soybean and maize in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Safety of Genetically Modified Crops and Plant Functional Genomics)
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