Roundup is a herbicide that kills any plant that it touches. Roundup Ready corn
contains a modified EPSPS gene from corn. This modified maize EPSPS protein differs from the wild maize by two amino
acids. This protein has a low affinity for glyphosphate when compared to the wild-type EPSPS enzyme. When a corn plant expresses
EPSPS and are treated with glyphospahate they are not affected. The continued actions of tolerant EPSPS enzymes provides the
plants with aromatic acid.
Roundup Ready Corn was made using particle acceleration technology with linear
DNA fragment of a plasmid carrying mepsps gene. It was developed by Monsanto Company and DEKALB Genetics Corporation.
Roundup Ready Corn is tolerant to glyphosate, which is the main ingredient in the
herbicide Roundup. Glyphosate stops the enzyme EPSPS which is critical in the shrimic acid pathway for biosynthesis of aromatic
amino acids in plants, such as corn. This leads to no growth in the plant. Roundup is not harmful to mammals, avian or aquatic
animals because they don't have aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathways. Therefore Roundup has low human health and environmental
risks when it is used appropriately. Glyphgosate is also not considered carcinogenic, mutagenic or tetatogenic by the World
Health Organization.
When Roundup Ready Corn is planted the farmer controls the weeds by spraying Roundup.
Since the corn is resistant it is unaffected while the weed is killed. Glyphsate works by inhibiting EPSP synthase that plants
need to grow. Without it plants can't produce other proteins needed for growth. This causes the plant to turn yellow and die
in several days or weeks. Since most plants use EPSP synthase it will kill almost all plants. Roundup Ready Corn produces
an enzyme that does the same functions as EPSP snthase but is not stopped by glyphsate.
There is polarized and conflicting information regarding it's safety. This could
be in part to the fact that Monsanto holds a monopoly on this product.
