Premium
Recent progress in the transgenic modification of swine and sheep
Author(s) -
Pursel V. G.,
Rexroad C. E.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.1080360223
Subject(s) - livestock , agriculture , research center , library science , service (business) , agricultural science , biology , veterinary medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , political science , medicine , business , computer science , ecology , law , marketing
INTRODUCTION For centuries the genetic composition of domestic animals has been manipulated to enhance their usefulness to man. In the past decade, development of recombinant DNA technology has enabled scientists to isolate single genes, analyze and modify their nucleotide structures, make copies of these isolated genes, and transfer copies into the genome. Animals that integrate this recombinant DNA in their genome are called “transgenic.” Recently, medically important human proteins have been produced in large quantities in milk of transgenic sheep. Unless unforeseen complications arise during extraction and purification of these proteins, we can expect to see such products to begin clinical evaluation very soon. Use of transgenic animals for food and fiber remains more distant in the future. Few agriculturally useful genes have thus far been isolated, sequenced, and cloned. In addition, insufficient information on gene regulation is available so that these integrated transgenes can be regulated sufficiently to prevent overexpression that has been shown in some instances to adversely impact the health status. The purpose of this paper will be to briefly review the progress that has been achieved since transgenic modification of swine and sheep was first reported in 1985 (Hammer et al., 1985), with emphasis on developments during the past year.