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Tools for Safety Assessment. The release of transgenic plants Horizontal gene transfer

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Plant genetic engineering is rapidly proceeding leading to numerous genetically modified cultivars. Several field releases have taken place and the first product is on the market now.
One of the main safety concerns in terms of the release of transgenic plants is the transfer of a transgene to other organisms. Such gene transfer can be caused by pollen flow resulting in a hybridization with related species, or it may happen by non sexual processes.
The present report focuses on non-sexual exchanges of genetic information between genomes, the so called horizontal gene transfer. A general overview on horizontal gene transfer events is given in chapter 2, while the potential recipients of plant derived DNA, the respective transfer mechanisms and the different detection methods are presented in greater detail in the chapters of the download version above.