Assessment of rhizospheric microorganisms of transgenic Populus tomentosa with cowpea trypsin inhibitor (CpTI) gene

To have a preliminary insight into biosafety of genetically transformed hybrid triploid poplars (Populus tomentosa × P. bolleana) × P. tomentosa with the cowpea trypsin inhibitor (CpTI) gene, two layers of rhizospheric soil (from 0 to 20 cm deep and from 20 to 40 cm deep, respectively) were collected for microorganism culture, counting assay and PCR analysis to assess the potential impact of transgenic poplars on non-target microorganism population and transgene dispersal. When the same soil layer of suspension stock solution was diluted at both 1:1 000 and 1:10 000 rates, there were no significant differences in bacterium colony numbers between the inoculation plates of both transgenic and non-transgenic poplars. The uniform results were revealed for both soil layer suspension solutions of identical poplars at both dilution rates except for non-transgenic poplars at 1:10000 dilution rates from the same type of soil. No significant variation in morphology of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was observed under the microscope. The potential transgene dispersal from root exudates or fallen leaves to non-target microbes was repudiated by PCR analysis, in which no CpTI gene specific DNA band was amplified for 15 sites of transgenic rhizospheric soil samples. It can be concluded that transgenic poplar with the CpTI gene has no severe impact on rhizospheric microorganisms and is tentatively safe to surrounding soil micro-ecosystem.