What is the Difference Between Cisgenesis and Transgenesis?

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Cisgenesis and transgenesis are two types of genetic modification techniques used to alter the genetic material of an organism. The key difference between the two lies in the source of the genes used for the modification:

  • Cisgenesis: This technique involves the genetic modification of a recipient plant using natural genes from a crossable, sexually compatible plant. The genes used for cisgenesis come from the organism itself or from a close relative. This method is considered safer compared to transgenesis, as it only involves the transfer of genes between closely related organisms.
  • Transgenesis: This technique involves the genetic modification of a recipient plant with one or more genes from any non-plant organism, including unrelated or distantly related species. In contrast to cisgenesis, transgenesis can cause negative effects on humans and the environment.

Both cisgenesis and transgenesis use artificial gene transfer, which results in less extensive change to an organism's genome than mutagenesis, a technique that was widely used before genetic engineering was developed. While some people argue that cisgenesis should not face as much regulatory oversight as transgenesis due to its less intrusive nature, both techniques are still subject to various regulations and guidelines.

Comparative Table: Cisgenesis vs Transgenesis

Cisgenesis and transgenesis are both genetic modification techniques used to alter the genetic material of an organism. However, they differ in the source of the genes used for the modification. Here is a table comparing the differences between cisgenesis and transgenesis:

Feature Cisgenesis Transgenesis
Source of genes Genes from the organism itself or from a close relative that is sexually compatible Genes from a non-plant organism or from a donor plant that is sexually incompatible with the recipient plant
Similarity to traditional breeding More similar to traditional plant breeding than transgenesis Less similar to traditional plant breeding than cisgenesis
Environmental risk No significant environmental risk, as cisgenesis is not much different from traditional breeding or natural processes May cause negative effects on humans and the environment
Regulatory status Currently, both cisgenic and transgenic plants are often subject to the same regulatory framework. However, some argue that cisgenesis should be exempt from the regulations applicable to transgenesis due to its similarity to traditional breeding Regulated as genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

Both cisgenesis and transgenesis share the same transformation methods, so cisgenic, intragenic, and transgenic plants produced through random insertion do not differ significantly. However, the key difference lies in the source of the genes used for the genetic modification.