Rooting out a poison
CASSAVA, the staple crop of over 500 million people across rural Africa, Asia all America can prove to be fatal if no properly. But researchers working the University of Newcastle in UK hope provide farmers with genetically safer varieties of the crop (New Scientists 147, No 1995).
Cassava root contains poisoin in the form of cyanoglucoside. Its antidot enzymes are found in the latex. In a living plant, the poison and the enzymes sontact, to the plant has to be A before it can be consumed. processing method involves the lo o( cells. This permits the Lit rglst on the pol 111hanigglucoside. con- FlUA Into hydrogen ?hgg root is rendered safe to eat when divested.
If any of the existing 184 N brelakdown completion, ON Ing ead even 0 frequently applied W in which naturally 11 down the cell to act on the collision.
resserch team biochemist Monica Hughes, this fermentation process can be improved by using newly cloned genes. Hughes plans to manufacture the cyanoglucoside-destroying enzymes using genetic engineering on natural bacteria obtained from the fermentation processing units in Africa.
The other strategy involves a long-term solution. By providing the roots with larger doses of the enzyme, detoxification during fermentation can be improved. Once the genes in the plants are altered, it i would be possible for the plants to manufacture more enzymes in the roots than before, Says Hughes, "The plant is propagated vegetatively just by replanting sticks, so we only need to modify one plant and give it back to the farmers".