Brazilian discovery restricts transgene to specific parts of the plant

Brazilian researchers have discovered a way to restrict the characteristics acquired by transgenic in just one part of the plant. Scientists were able to (and patented it) what is considered to be a real revolution in biotechnology, using the so-called "promoters", or DNA sequences that define how the inserted genes in the genome are manifested.
 
Nowadays, conventional transgenic genes (constitutive promoters) are acting on all parts of a plant: roots, stems, leaves and fruits. In the study done of Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, led by Dr. Juliana Dantas de Almeida, the "specific promoters" induce the expression of characteristics in only certain parts of the plant.
 
In a more practical way, it is possible to develop plants resistant to fungal diseases in soybean caused by the rust, for example, that attacks the plants’ leaves. "With a gene resistant to fungi and the control of a constitutive promoter, the entire plant may become toxic to the fungi, including those that promote beneficial nitrogen fixation in the root; with the specific promoter  we could express it only in the leaf feature,"says Juliana .
 
Another example is the coffee berry borer, a small beetle installs itself in the coffee bean just to reproduce, impairing production. A drill resistance gene can be controlled by a fruit -specific promoter, and the protein is present only in the grain. The other populations of beetles that feed on the leaves, would not be achieved it.
 
As a competitive commercial advantage, this technique would eliminate one of the major public resistance to GMOs: the fear that traces of genetic manipulation could reach the fruit. Besides this, Embrapa’s discovery could also reduce plant transpiration through the leaves, making them more tolerant to dry weather.