The genetic engineering agent that is responsible for the majority of GM crops is a soil microbe called Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Upon infecting a host cell, this pathogen transfers a segment of its own DNA into the plant cell. The host cell then expresses the transferred genes and the instructions for the production of substances that induce the development of a crown gall (disease) will begin. These substances will then be distributed throughout the plant, causing the food produced by these plant to also contain these substances. By exchanging the crown gall disease-causing DNA with a DNA of interest, new strains of this bacterium can be obtained to introduce new useful genetic material into the host plant. Eventually, the progeny of this whole fertile plant would also contain the same inserted DNA of interest.
Adapted from: Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods Approaches to Assessing Unintended Health Effects, Institute of Medicine and National Research Council of the National Academies, 2004, The National Academy Press
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