CTNBio subcommittees approve BASF herbicide-resistant cotton

BASF obtained a favorable decision for the commercial release of genetically modified cotton containing the event combined by classical genetics LLCotton25 x GBH811. Authorization came from the subcommittees for the plant and environmental areas of the National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio). Analysis of the areas of human and animal health is still lacking.

The LLCotton25 event makes cotton tolerant to the herbicide glufosinate ammonium. The characteristic arises from the introduction of the bar gene, originating from the bacteria Streptomyces hygroscopicus. In practice, the herbicidal activity of glufosinate is eliminated by acetylation (ethanoylation).

In turn, event GBH811 confers tolerance to the herbicides glyphosate and isoxaflutole. Plant transformation is mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. There is the introduction of two genes: (a) hppdPF W336, coming from Pseudomonas fluorescens strain A32, which confers tolerance to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides (such as isoxaflutole) by reducing specificity for the bioactive constituent of the herbicide; and (b) 2mepsps, from corn (zea mays), which decreases the binding affinity for glyphosate, thus increasing tolerance to the herbicide.

UPDATE ON 16.06.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX: the human and animal health commissions also approved the commercial release of cotton containing the combination LLCotton25 x GBH811 (GLI).