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Living Modified Organism (LMO)
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BCH-LMO-SCBD-300546-1   |   PDF   |   Print   |  
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Decisions on the LMO Risk Assessments  
last updated: 10 Aug 2026
Living Modified Organism identity
The image below identifies the LMO through its unique identifier, trade name and a link to this page of the BCH. Click on it to download a larger image on your computer. For help on how to use it go to the LMO quick-links page.
Herbicide-tolerant cotton
EN
ACS-GHØØ1-3 × BCS-GH811-4
No
The modified cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) was produced through cross‑breeding of modified parental varieties, ACS-GHØØ1-3 and BCS-GH811-4.
Cotton ACS-GHØØ1-3 was modified for tolerance to glufosinate-ammonium herbicides. To achieve glufosinate tolerance, the cotton expresses the the bialaphos resistance gene from Streptomyces hygroscopicus to produce phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase, which inactivates the herbicide by acetylating L-glufosinate ammonium. 
Cotton BCS-GH811-4 was modified for tolerance to glyphosate and isoxaflutole herbicides. To achieve tolerance to glyphosate, the cotton expresses the Zea mays double mutant 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase, which has a reduced binding affinity to the herbicide. To achieve isoxaflutole tolerance, the cotton expresses Pseudomonas fluorescens 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase or 4-hydroxy-phenyl-pyruvate-dioxygenase (HPPD), which contains a point mutation that confers reduced binding affinity to HPPD inhibitors.
EN
The term “Recipient organism” refers to an organism (either already modified or non-modified) that was subjected to genetic modification, whereas “Parental organisms” refers to those that were involved in cross breeding or cell fusion.
  • BCH-LMO-SCBD-14851-8 Living Modified Organism ACS-GHØØ1-3 - Liberty Link™ cotton
    Bayer CropScience | Resistance to herbicides (Glufosinate)
  • BCH-LMO-SCBD-113966-5 Living Modified Organism BCS-GH811-4 - Herbicide-tolerant cotton
    Bayer CropScience | Resistance to herbicides (Glyphosate)
  • BCH-ORGA-SCBD-12080-6 Organism Gossypium hirsutum (Cotton)
    Crops
Coker 312
EN
Characteristics of the modification process
pGSV71 and pTSIH09
EN
  • Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer
Some of these genetic elements may be present as fragments or truncated forms. Please see notes below, where applicable.
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-101416-7 Ti plasmid right border repeat | Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Agrobacterium)
    Plasmid vector
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-14972-12 Phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase gene | Streptomyces hygroscopicus (STRHY)
    Protein coding sequence | Resistance to herbicides (Glufosinate)
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100287-7 CaMV 35S promoter | Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV)
    Promoter
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-100269-8 Nopaline Synthase Gene Terminator | Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Agrobacterium)
    Terminator
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-101415-9 Ti plasmid left border repeat | Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Agrobacterium)
    Plasmid vector
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-101900-6 CsVMV promoter | Cassava vein mosaic virus (Cassava vein mosaic virus, CVMV, CsVMV)
    Promoter
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-104646-4 Histone H4 gene 3' UTR | Arabidopsis thaliana (Thale cress, Mouse-ear cress, Arabidopsis, ARATH)
    Terminator
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-104793-3 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase | Pseudomonas fluorescens (PSEFL)
    Protein coding sequence | Resistance to herbicides
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-101419-5 Optimized chloroplast transit peptide | Zea mays (Maize, Corn, MAIZE) | Helianthus annuus (Sunflower, HELAN)
    Transit signal
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-104647-3 Histone H4 gene Promoter | Arabidopsis thaliana (Thale cress, Mouse-ear cress, Arabidopsis, ARATH)
    Promoter
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-104648-2 Histone H3 Gene II intron 1 | Arabidopsis thaliana (Thale cress, Mouse-ear cress, Arabidopsis, ARATH)
    Intron
  • BCH-GENE-SCBD-46333-8 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase | Zea mays (Maize, Corn, MAIZE)
    Protein coding sequence | Resistance to herbicides (Glyphosate)
DNA insert from LLcotton25 (ACS-GHØØ1-3) vector pGSV71
The transforming plasmid (pTSIH09) for cotton ACS-GHØØ1-3 contains a single genetic cassettes expressing the phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase PAT (bar gene) derived from gram-positive soil bacterium, Streptomyces hygroscopicus.

The bar coding sequence is under control of a Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and an Agrobacterium tumefaciens nopaline synthase terminator. Due to the constitutive nature of the viral promoter, high levels of transcription are expected from this gene cassette.

Note
  • The initial two codons of the N-terminal of the bar coding sequence were synthetically modified to plant-preferred codons.
  • Southern blot analysis indicated that a single intact copy of the T-DNA was integrated into the cotton genome and no vector backbone sequences were present.
  • Whole plants were treated with glufosinate ammonium and successful transformants were detected by selecting plants that had not exhibited the phytotoxic effects of glufosinate ammonium.

DNA insert from GHB811 (BCS-GH811-4) vector pTSIH09
The transforming plasmid (pGSV71) for cotton BCS-GH811-4 contains two genetic cassettes: Pseudomonas fluorescens 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (hppd) and Zea mays 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (2mepsps).

(1) The hppd gene is under control of a Cassava vein mosaic virus promoter and Arabidopsis thaliana histone H4 gene terminator (H4A748). A synthetic optimized N-terminal transit peptide was included to target the translated HPPD W336 protein to the chloroplast. High levels of expression are expected due to the nature of the viral promoter.

(2) The 2mepsps gene is under control of an A. thaliana histone H4 promoter and 3'untranslated region. An A. thaliana histone H3 intron was included to enhance the expression of 2mepsps and a synthetic optimized N-terminal transit peptide is also present to direct the protein to the chloroplasts.

Note
  • Molecular characterization of the event indicated that a single copy of the transfer DNA was inserted into the genome without the integration of vector backbone sequences.
  • The hppd sequence contains an amino acid substitution (glycine replacement for tryptophan) at position 336. The sequence was then codon-optimized for expression in plants.
  • The 2mepsps sequence contains two point mutations:  at position102 (substitution of threonine by isoleucine) and position 106 (substitution of proline by serine).
  • The optimized transit protein contains the sequence of the RuBisCO small subunit genes of Zea mays and Helianthus annuus with a tyrosine substitution at position 55 and cotton codon optimization. 

For additional information on this LMO, please refer to the records of the parental LMOs.
EN
LMO characteristics
EN
  • Feed
  • Fiber/textile
  • Food
Detection method(s)
EN
Additional Information
  • The cotton line LLCotton25 was developed to allow the use of glufosinate ammonium (trade name Liberty®), as a weed control option in cotton production. 
  • The herbicidal mode of action of glufosinate ammonium is related to the activity of glutamine synthetase (GS), the enzyme required for the synthesis of the amino acid glutamine. L-phosphinothricin, the active ingredient of glufosinate ammonium, is a structural analog of glutamate, and acts as a competitive inhibitor. After application of the herbicide, L-phosphinothricin competes with glutamine for its active sites on GS. The results of the inhibition of GS are an accumulation of ammonia in the plant, a reduction in the synthesis of glutamine, and an inhibition of photosynthesis. This causes the death of plant cells, and eventually, the entire plant. 
EN

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