Scientific News  Biology Genetics FUTURE OF GENE TECHNOLOGY
Future
of gene technology
 Progress
in gene technology could slow down, if projects targeted at reproduction of
calves having the same genetic code with their parents would further develop.
Like the sheep Dolly, calves would become a complete analog of their “parents”.
In the new project in gene
engineering, the clone obtained won’t be just a copy of its “parents”;
it’ll be a super-analog with the characteristics far different from that of
the “parents”.
The effort to enhance big cattle
at the genetic level is being undertaken by Jim Robble, a doctor from
Massachusetts (USA). Mr. Robble and his team suppose that genetic modification
and imitation of cells is the most promising way to introduce a required gene in
any cell of an animal being tested.
To make the project a success,
it’s important to determine the cells of a mature caw, which we’d like to
change. In adding new genes, no virus should be used. Instead of this
traditional method, now cells have to be simply mixed with a million of copies
of the gene to be introduced in a clone. For this purpose, the cells are treated
with a current which opens pores in the DNA’s membranes to allow genes to
penetrate inside and get incorporated in the DNA spiral. This process isn’t
very efficient, since the required gene is rarely built in its permanent place
in the DNA structure, being lost among millions of other genes.
To successfully change a cell
structure, Mr. Robble used the so-called “marker gene”. This gene is able to
produce green color when it has properly been fixed in the preset permanent
place in the DNA structure. The method described above enabled a gene to find
the right place.
Embryos, obtained through cell
genetic modification, are introduced into an ovicell of the caw the nucleus
bearing the mother’s gene had previously been taken from. Thereafter,
artificial impregnation is carried out. The calves that will grow up from these
embryos won’t be a 100 percent copy of the parental caw; they will become a
super-analog, combining carefully selected characteristics.
Progress in this technology will
allow to eliminate degeneration and degradation, typical for traditional cloning,
and to produce in the end a “new” animal that won’t suffer from known
illnesses and unsatisfactory environment conditions. This new caw will give the
best results in terms of milk and meat produced.
Publishing date: November 9, 2000
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