TY - JOUR
T1 - The stability and degradation of dietary DNA in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals
T2 - Implications for horizontal gene transfer and the biosafety of GMOs
AU - Rizzi, Aurora
AU - Raddadi, Noura
AU - Sorlini, Claudia
AU - Nordgård, Lise
AU - Nielsen, Kaare Magne
AU - Daffonchio, Daniele
PY - 2012/2/28
Y1 - 2012/2/28
N2 - The fate of dietary DNA in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of animals has gained renewed interest after the commercial introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMO). Among the concerns regarding GM food, are the possible consequences of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of recombinant dietary DNA to bacteria or animal cells. The exposure of the GIT to dietary DNA is related to the extent of food processing, food composition, and to the level of intake. Animal feeding studies have demonstrated that a minor amount of fragmented dietary DNA may resist the digestive process. Mammals have been shown to take up dietary DNA from the GIT, but stable integration and expression of internalized DNA has not been demonstrated. Despite the ability of several bacterial species to acquire external DNA by natural transformation, in vivo transfer of dietary DNA to bacteria in the intestine has not been detected in the few experimental studies conducted so far. However, major methodological limitations and knowledge gaps of the mechanistic aspects of HGT calls for methodological improvements and further studies to understand the fate of various types of dietary DNA in the GIT.
AB - The fate of dietary DNA in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of animals has gained renewed interest after the commercial introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMO). Among the concerns regarding GM food, are the possible consequences of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of recombinant dietary DNA to bacteria or animal cells. The exposure of the GIT to dietary DNA is related to the extent of food processing, food composition, and to the level of intake. Animal feeding studies have demonstrated that a minor amount of fragmented dietary DNA may resist the digestive process. Mammals have been shown to take up dietary DNA from the GIT, but stable integration and expression of internalized DNA has not been demonstrated. Despite the ability of several bacterial species to acquire external DNA by natural transformation, in vivo transfer of dietary DNA to bacteria in the intestine has not been detected in the few experimental studies conducted so far. However, major methodological limitations and knowledge gaps of the mechanistic aspects of HGT calls for methodological improvements and further studies to understand the fate of various types of dietary DNA in the GIT.
KW - ARM genes
KW - Biosafety
KW - Lateral or horizontal gene transfer
KW - Natural transformation
KW - Recombinant DNA plants
KW - Risk assessment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84857432708&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10408398.2010.499480
DO - 10.1080/10408398.2010.499480
M3 - Article
C2 - 22059960
AN - SCOPUS:84857432708
SN - 1040-8398
VL - 52
SP - 142
EP - 161
JO - Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
JF - Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
IS - 2
ER -