Establishment of a screening method for genetically modified potatoes using multiplex PCR

Abstract

A wide variety of genetically modified (GM) potatoes have been developed and commercialized globally, necessitating regulations on the import of unauthorized GM potato. Korea has not authorized any GM potatoes, which mandates a strict zero-tolerance policy. Consequently, the GM potato-specific screening method was developed with high coverage using multiplex PCR. Four key screening target genes was selected analyzing genetic elements from 51 GM potato events: UGPase, T-Nos, Innate-construct, and the disclosed 5’ flanking sequences of AV43-6-G7. The specificity was validated with six GM potato events and 13 non-GM crop varieties. Additionally, sensitivity was assessed using varying proportions of GM potato events, achieving a detection limit of 0.05%. The applicability was validated by analyzing 10 processed food samples, one of which was intentionally spiked with a GM potato event. These results demonstrate that the developed screening method is effective for detecting and managing unauthorized GM potato events in Korea.