NewLeaf Y Potato

The NewLeaf Y Potato is a genetically engineered potato that produces its own insecticide. The insecticide is the same chemical that is naturally produced by the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). It is also genetically engineered for resistance to Potato Virus Y (PVY).

1998: Deregulation

On December 5, 1997, APHIS received a petition from Monsanto to deregulate one line of Russet Burbank potatoes (RBMT15-101), two lines of Shepody (SEMT15-02 and SEMT15-15) and one line of HiLite (HLMT15-46), which were all genetically engineered for resistance to the Colorado Potato Beetle (CPB) and Potato Virus Y (PVY). APHIS published a notice of the petition in the Federal Register on July 20, 1998 and solicited public comments, which must have been received by September 18, 1998.

"As described in the petition, all four of the subject NewLeaf Y potato lines have been genetically engineered to contain the cry3A gene from the Bacillus thurigiensis subsp. tenebrionsis (Btt), which encodes a protein that is insecticidal to CPB, and the PVY coat protein gene (PVYcp), which imparts resistance to PVY. In addition to the cry3A gene and the PVYcp gene, these potato lines contain and express the nptII selectable marker gene, which is used in the initial stages of plant selection. While the two Shepody lines (SEMT15-02 and SEMT15-15) and the HiLite line (HLMT15-46) also contain the aad marker gene, tests indicate that this gene is not expressed in these potato plants. The subject potato lines were developed through the use of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation system, and expression of the introduced genes is controlled in part by gene sequences deried from the plant pathogen A. tumefaciens and figwort mosaic virus."

Controversies

For more information, see the pages on Bt Crops and Genetically Modified Organisms

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

• Bt Potato
• NewLeaf Potato
• NewLeaf Plus Potato
• Monsanto
• Bt Crops
• Glyphosate Tolerant Crops
• Virus Resistant Crops
• Biotechnology
• Genetically Modified Organisms
• Monsanto and Genetic Engineering