Assessing the risks of releasing recombinant Streptomyces in soil.

Streptomyces spp. are soil microorganisms that are important in decomposition of organic matter in soil. Genetic exchange among Streptomyces species is known to occur readily both on agar and in soil in the laboratory and evidence indicates that transfer of genes from released recombinant Streptomyces to native soil streptomycetes also occurs. Minimal data are available on the environmental effects of such gene transfer.