This presentation represents the Genetic use restriction technology (GURT), also known as terminator technology. This presentation explain the advantages and impact of terminator technology.

1. SHER-E-KASHMIRUNIVERSITYOF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY,
JAMMU
Topic: Engineering of crops and seed termination technology

3. TERMINATOR TECHNOLOGY
• Genetic use restriction technology (GURT), also known
as terminator technology or suicide seeds, is the name
given to proposed methods for restricting the use
of genetically modified plants by activating some genes
only in response to certain stimuli, in particular to cause
second generation seeds to be infertile.
• The technology was originally developed under a
cooperative research and development agreement
between the Agricultural Research Service of the United
States Department of Agriculture and Delta and Pine
Land company in the 1990s, but it is not yet
commercially available.

4. • Genetic use restriction technologies (GURTs) are the
name given to experimental methods, providing
specific genetic switch mechanisms that restrict the
unauthorized use of genetic material by hampering
reproduction (variety specific V-GURT) or the
expression of a trait (trait-specific T-GURT) in a
genetically modified plant.
• The biotechnology and seed industry is promoting this
technology as a “biosafety” solution to disguise its true
role as a biological means of preventing farmers from
saving and re-using proprietary seed. This technology
has not yet been commercialized or field tested but tests
are currently being conducted in greenhouses in the
United States.

5. TYPES OF GURTS
There are two main classes of GURTs:
1. Trait based
2. Variety based GURT.
• Trait based technologies (T GURTs) regulate the
expression of a particular trait;
• Variety based technologies (V-GURTs) restrict the use of
an entire variety by blocking its reproduction.

6. V-GURT
• It is also known as suicide/sterile seed/gene technology, or
terminator technology.
• It is designed to control plant fertility or seed development
through a genetic process triggered by a chemical inducer
that will allow the plant to grow and to form seeds
• It will cause the embryo of each of those seeds to produce a
cell toxin that will prevent its germination if replanted.
• Thus causing seeds to be sterile and allowing manufacturers
to maintain their intellectual property rights and avoid
concerns related to GM seed dispersal

7. T-GURT:
• T-GURTs, also considered as the second generation of
V-GURT.
• One or more genes conferring a single trait are
switched on or off through application of chemical
inducers.
• Therefore, T-GURTs are not intended to affect the
viability of seeds, which is in contrast to V-GURTs,
which result in sterile seeds.
• The expression of a specific desirable transgenic trait is
dependent upon spraying a specific proprietary
chemical, sold separately, often by the samecompany.

8. ADVANTAGES
1. This technology will induce private sector to make more
investment in research and development of pure line
varieties and open pollinated varieties because in these
varieties the farmers do not change the seeds each years.
2. Farmers will use new seeds every year leads to
maximum production.
3. This will result in stiff competition between the public
and private sector institutions and ultimately the farmers
will benefit through this technology.

9. IMPACTS AND RISKS
Reliability for biosafety:
This is enough for use restriction but as an affective
measure to avoid GMO contamination not enough
Use restriction:
• Negation of farmers rights
• Undermining of food sovereignty
• Danger for food security
• Biodiversity loss

10. Impact of terminator seeds on
farmers
1. Terminator would results in higher seed prices at a
time when farmers are experiencing the worst income
crisis in the history of modern agriculture.
2. Terminator is a major violation of the rights of farmers
to save and reuse their own seeds.
3. Through pollen movement in the first generation, Terminator
genes could contaminate farmers’ crops - farmers might then
unknowingly save and reuse seeds that are contaminated and will
not germinate .
4. Environmentalists are concerned about the possibility of gene
transfer between genetically engineered plants and traditional,
non-targeted plants
5. The production of sterile seeds by these plants would render the
seeds useless.

11. Patents on terminator seed
• Delta & Pine Land (DPL), the world’s largest cotton
seed company, which jointly holds three US patents on
Terminator technology with the US Department of
Agriculture.
• In October 2005, DPL won new Terminator patents in
both Europe and Canada.
• During 2002 Monsanto acquired Delta & Pine Land
(DPL) patent

12. Terminatortechnology consistsof three
genes
• GENE I
Gene I is a repressor gene that produces a repressor
protein that interacts with a binding site near GeneII.
• GENE II
Gene II is a recombinase gene that is controlled by a
promoter. Between the gene and the promoter is a
binding site for the repressor from Gene I. The
recombinase gene produces a recombinase protein that
is an enzyme and snips out pieces ofDNA.

13. GENE III
• Gene III produces a toxin that is lethal to embryos. The
gene is controlled by a late promoter, which is active
only during the late stage of seed development when
the embryo is developing.
• Between the late promoter and the toxin gene is a piece
of DNA called a blocker, which interferes with the
ability of the promoter to turn on the toxingene.
• There is a chemical called inducer used by the seed
company that will initiate the terminator gene
interactions.

14. The terminator technology consists of threegenes:
In the absence of the Inducer
If the company does not want to initiate the terminator genes, it will not apply the
inducer.
This allows the repressor protein to bind on Gene II, preventing the production of
recombinase. Then the blocker on Gene III is not snipped out, and the toxin is not
produced. This allows the seed company to raise enough seed to sell to farmers.

15. The terminator technology consists of threegenes:
In the presence of the Inducer
• Before selling the seed the company applies the inducer.
• The inducer blocks the binding site on Gene II preventing the repressor protein to
bind.
• Gene II then produces recombinase which snips out the blocker on Gene III. With
the blocker removed, the late promoter is able to turn on production of the toxin
gene late in the season.

16. Possible advantages of terminator
technology
Terminator technology can also be used to limit the
spread of genes from GMOs to other plants in the
natural environment. This will ensure that genes from
the GMOs will not get mixed with the plants in the
wild.
Intellectual property protection of Biotech firms.
Reduce the propagation of volunteerplants.
Prevent escape of transgenes into wild relatives and
prevent any impact on biodiversity.

17. Case study
No clear consensus has emerged in the debate about the risks posed by transgenic crops and
how to assess these risks accurately. Potential strategies to impede transgene movement
have been published in the scientific literature, and numerous patents have been submitted;
however, the efficacy of such strategies has still to be evaluated in a field situation.
In this review, discuss some of the genetic strategies that could be used to restrict the spread
of transgenes, although at present many of these technologies are still largely at a theoretical
stage of development.

20. References
• Crouch, M L ‘How the Terminator Terminates: An Explanation For The Non-
Scientist Of A Remarkable Patent For Killing Second Generation Seeds Of Crop
Plants’, an occasional paper of the Edmonds Institute (1998)
• Dutfield, G, ‘Chapter 21: Social and Economic Consequences of Genetic Use
Restriction Technologies in Developing Countries’ in Kesan, J P Seeds of Change:
Intellectual Property Protection for Agricultural Biotechnology (Wallingford 2007)
293
• Goeschl, T, Swanson, T ‘The Impact Of Genetic Use Restriction Technologies On
Developing Countries: A Forecast’ in Evenson, R E, Santianello, V, Zilberman, D
(eds) Economic and Social Issues in Agricultural Biotechnology (Cambridge 2002)
• Hills, M J, Arnison, P G, Good A G, ‘Genetic use restriction technologies
(GURTs): strategies to impede transgene movement’ (2007) 12(4) TRENDS in
Plant Science 177