In every case the GM crops originated from cell cultures that have been know to be vexed with a phenomenon called somaclonal variation. Somaclonal variation has been encountered in genetic transformation using both biolistic and Agrobacterium transformation followed by cell culture to isolate desirable agricultural characteristics. The phenomenon is that cell cultures leading to isolate individual clones and plants are plagued by genetic instability caused both by gene mutation and chromosome rearrangement. In extreme responses plants may be infertile and the extensive mutation leads to undesirable toxic natural products being produced. Furthermore, the transgenes introduced into the modified crop are recognized as invaders by the crop being transformed and the invading genes are silenced by mechanisms including DNA methylation or gene inactivation at transcription.
Activated transposons create both gene mutation and chromosome rearrangement.
The promised peer review publication on the aberrant DNA sequences was not located and similar problems with similar transformations in corn, cotton or canola have not yet been studied. Certainly, government regulators and their academic satellites seem passive and submissive in dealing with important findings reflecting on the safety of GM crops. Even though the stability and long term stability of transgenic crops is of paramount importance there have been few published studies on the genetic stability and response to varying environments of transgenic crops. Such problems may reflect somaclonal variation or unexpected gene silencing, or they may reflect other unpredicted aspects of genetic modification. In conclusion, there should be a moratorium on the use and distribution of GM crops until the consequences of genetic instability are fully explored.