How were the first novel corn plants made glufosinate tolerant?
Phosphinothiricin is the active ingredient in glufosinate and causes toxicity in susceptible plants. Unmodified corn plants do not have the necessary enzymes required to detoxify phosphothiricin and are therefore susceptible to phosphinothiricin. However, common soil bacteria are naturally resistant to the effects of phosphinothiricin. Scientists studied these bacteria, identified the enzyme which detoxified phosphinothiricin and later identified the gene sequence which produces this enzyme. The enzyme was identified as PPT-acetyltransferase or PAT for short. It detoxifies phosphinothiricin through an organic chemical reaction. The gene sequence that is the blueprint for PAT was identified and is now known as the PAT gene. The PAT gene has been incorporated into corn genome through recombinant DNA techniques, by two agricultural biotechnology companies. Glyphosate Tolerant Corn Glyphosate Tolerant Corn is a novel corn, which has been genetically modified to be tolerant to the herbicide
