New Viruses Found in Corn: Is There A Link to Genetic Engineering?

New Viruses Found in Corn: Is There A Link to Genetic Engineering?

by Trout Rogers

Ohio State University researchers have discovered two new corn viruses, which fall into a family of viruses that infect tomatoes and other nightshade plants.

The emergence of these viruses — one of which remains unidentified — raises questions about the safety of the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus promoter (CaMV) used in virtually all genetically modified organisms.

In 1994 when Calgene's "Flavr Savr" tomato was first commercialized, Dr. Joseph Cummins, Professor Emeritus in genetics from the University of West-Ontario, Canada, warned that "Probably the greatest threat from genetically engineered crops is the insertion of modified virus and insect virus genes into crops.

It has been shown in the laboratory that genetic recombination will create highly virulent new viruses from such constructions.

Certainly the widely used (CaMV) is a potentially dangerous gene. It is a pararetrovirus, meaning that it multiplies by making DNA from RNA messages. It is very similar to Hepatitis B virus and related to HIV."

Both of these new corn viruses are posing problems for scientists. The first, `maize necrotic streak virus' falls into a category of viruses that attacks tomatoes and peppers, not grain crops.

There is also no known vector for carrying this virus. Scientists have not been able to spread the virus from one plant to another using any of the established methods, which raises questions about its origin.

The second virus, "Georgia Unknown" is still being studied, and can be easily misdiagnosed.

The question arises as to whether the widespread use of this promiscuous viral element (CaMV) could contribute to the creation of some kind of pathogenic bridge between different plant species and their host species.

If so, this is possibly the first recognized occurrence of such a cross. When scientists use the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus to enter a cell, they have no way of knowing what happens to the virus, and in fact, it is likely that a different recombination takes place in every single case of engineering.

This means that one batch of corn could be tested and approved, while others are not tested with the assumption that they will also be safe.

This is simply not the case, and this may be our earliest evidence.

For more information about the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus, see:

In this context, keep in mind that Ann Veneman (the new Agriculture Secretary under George W. Bush) was director of Calgene at the time of the introduction of the Flavr Savr tomato.

Will she be objective during the debate surrounding genetically modified foods?