Rice (Oryza sativa) is the most important staple food of over half the world’s population. This study was conducted to evaluate the possible impact of transgenic rice cultivation on the soil microbial community. Microorganisms were isolated from the rhizosphere of GM and non-GM rice cultivation soils. Microbial community was identified based on the culture-dependent and molecular biology methods. The total numbers of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycete in the rhizosphere soils cultivated with GM and non-GM rice were similar to each other, and there was no significant difference between GM and non-GM rice. Dominant bacterial phyla in the rhizosphere soils cultivated with GM and non-GM rice were Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. The microbial communities in GM and non-GM rice cultivated soils were characterized using the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The DGGE profiles showed similar patterns, but didn’t show significant difference to each other. DNAs were isolated from soils cultivating GM and non-GM rice and analyzed for persistence of inserted gene in the soil by using PCR. The PCR analysis revealed that there were no amplified protox gene in soil DNA. These data suggest that transgenic rice does not have a significant impact on soil microbial communities, although continued research may be necessary.

• Sung-Dug Oh(National Academy of Agricultural Science)
• Tae-Hun Ryu(National Academy of Agricultural Science)
• Soo-In Sohn(National Academy of Agricultural Science)
• Chang-Gi Kim(Bio-Evaluation Center, KRIBB)
• Kyoungwhan Back(Division of Applied Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University)
• Kijong Lee(National Academy of Agricultural Science) Corresponding Author