"Genome Editing in Wild Plants: A Crucial Factor in Evolution"
Wild plants, including grasses, can undergo horizontal gene transfer, a process where genetic information is shared between distant branches of the tree of life. This phenomenon, previously thought to be restricted to microbes, has been found in a wide range of plants, animals, and fungi. A recent study focused on the tropical grass Alloteropsis semialata found that genes from foreign origins are continually acquired throughout its evolutionary history, with a foreign gene incorporated approximately every 35,000 years. These transferred genes often offer the recipient an evolutionary advantage, such as disease resistance and stress tolerance. The study suggests that the mechanism behind horizontal gene transfer in plants may be similar to the methods used to create genetically modified crops, challenging the perception that GM crops are unnatural.