Both nuclear and plastid genomes have been genetically engineered to alter traits in plants.
In addition, 21st-century technologies such as gene editing, which can potentially be used to treat disease or to alter traits, have further renewed concerns.
Crop domestication is often accompanied by changes in metabolite compositions that alter traits such as flavor, color, or other beneficial properties.
Likewise, the application of gene editing in humans has raised ethical concerns, particularly regarding its potential use to alter traits such as intelligence and beauty.
The debate over gene editing renewed earlier discussions about the ethical and social impacts of genetic engineering in humans, especially its potential to be used to alter traits such as intelligence and appearance.
Taking the time to understand not only which genes are involved but which specific mutations may be driving natural selection, Hoekstra said, can give researchers a much fuller picture of not only the molecular mechanisms by which mutations alter traits, but also the evolutionary history of an organism.
Exploiting the existing natural diversity and using techniques such as mutagenesis, protoplast fusion, breeding, genome shuffling and directed evolution to generate artificial diversity, or the use of genetic modification strategies to alter traits in a more targeted way, have led to the selection of superior industrial yeasts.
Thus, following their initial identification in genomewide scans, putative positively selected loci should be examined for associated phenotypic effects and the altered trait(s) placed in the context of a biological hypothesis in which they could be, or have been, of benefit.
In total 57 M2 plants, representing 1.1% of the population, showed at least one altered trait.
The mutant collection phenotyping showed that 1.1% of the mutant plant present at least on altered trait and confirm the quality of the mutagenesis.
