식물육종신기술(NPBTs)의 발전에 따른 신규식물(Novel Plant)의 위해성평가 동향

Novel Plant Breeding Techniques and Risk Assessment

In recent years, novel plant breeding techniques (NPBTs) have emerged, and safety assessment of the novel plant(s) generated using the NPBTs has drawn the attention of many stakeholders. The notable characteristics of the novel plants are as follows: firstly, it is almost impossible to distinguish from the natural mutations in the conventional counterparts, because site-directed nuclease (SDN) and oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis (ODM) could introduce short indel(s) in the targeted region(s) of the chromosomes. Secondly, the genome constitution of novel plants is almost identical to that of their conventional counterparts, eventually becoming indistinguishable by the introduction of only unmodified gene(s) from sexually compatible species to the target host plant. Thirdly, it is possible to generate new plants that have the desired traits, but without introducing genes. These plants will have some modified bases in their genome by selecting null-segregant(s) from heterozygous transgenic plants or by other epigenetic methods. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and many countries developing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have concluded that novel plants developed using SDN, ODM, cisgenesis, intragenesis, or null-segregant techniques are treated in the same manner as non-genetically modified (GM) plants or may even have less strict risk assessments depending on the case. Additionally, grafting and agro-infiltration are methods that can be used to avoid or reduce the burden of current strict GMO risk assessment. The risk assessments of some of the novel plants have already been performed and those of commercially important plants are expected to be performed in the near future. Hence, it is necessary to develop a competitive and practical NPBT that can mitigate the concern and revulsion toward GMOs in Korea.