7 
these plants would not constitute release into the environment, since the 
fields are plowed and fumigated before and after the experiment, and the 
plants remain adequately "contained"; (3) even if the transformed plants 
escaped, they would be harmless; (4) the )<anamycin resistance gene is used 
as a convenient marker and kanamycin resistance genes already occur in 
plants; and (5) the plants will not be rendered toxic or ecologically 
more aggressive. 
Dr. Brill said he supported approval of Dr. Sanford's request. He said 
the probability that the experiment would be successful is very low, but 
should it be succesful, he did not see any hazard. Dr. Scandal ios moved 
that permission to perform the requested field experiments be recommended. 
Dr. Wensink said the evidence supporting the contention that kanamycin 
resistance is found in plants is very weak and casts doubt on the validity 
of the rest of the data. Dr. Wensink asked if disseminating kanamycin 
resistance genes in plants is of concern. Dr. Holmes said acquisition of 
kanamycin resistance frequently results in coacquisition of streptomycin 
resistance. He said neither kanamycin nor streptomycin are very important 
in human medicine today. Dr. Tolin said in agriculture antibiotics are 
used primarily to control certain bacterial diseases in citrus and in 
some other fruit. She is not aware of use of antibiotics to control 
tomato and tobacco pests. She added that the regions in which the trans- 
formed plants will be field tested are geographically well separated from 
major citrus growing areas. She said plants must at seme stage be tested 
under environmental conditions, as they do not always respond in green 
houses or growth chambers as they would in the field. Dr. Martin asked if 
the plants would be pollinated in the field as well as grown in the field. 
Dr. Scandalios replied that the plants would be pollinated in the field. 
Dr. McGarrity noted that RAC will most probably receive more requests for 
permission to release genetically manipulated plants into the environment. 
He said he was not familiar with plant breeding and plant pathology. He 
wondered whether RAC might be provided information on plants, including 
information on plant breeding, field experimentation, etc. 
Dr. McKinney asked if Dr. Sanford is requesting RAC review under Section 
III-A-2 of the Guidelines. Dr. Gartland replied that Dr. Sanford was 
indeed. DT. McKinney said he would have preferred that some comment from 
the investigator's Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) accompany the 
proposal. He felt requests to the RAC falling under Section III-A of the 
Guidelines should be forwarded with documents indicating the IBC is aware 
the experiments are being proposed. In the absence of such documentation, 
he did not feel moved to support this request. Dr. Bems said the current 
Guidelines do not require the IBC to review proposals falling under Section 
III-A before RAC evaluates the proposal. 
[131 
