Gene transfer: potential to enhance the genome of Atlantic salmon for aquaculture

2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (11) ◽  
pp. 1095 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Fletcher ◽  
M. A. Shears ◽  
E. S. Yaskowiak ◽  
M. J. King ◽  
S. V. Goddard

Over the past 20 years we have generated stable lines of transgenic Atlantic salmon possessing either antifreeze protein (AFP) genes or a salmon growth hormone (GH) gene construct. The AFP gene transfer studies were initiated in 1982. The AFP transgene integrated into salmon genomic DNA and AFP has been found in the blood of all 5 generations to date. However, AFP levels are low and a means to raise these levels needs to be developed. Our GH gene transfer studies were initiated in 1989. Evidence to date indicates that a single copy of the GH transgene integrated into chromosomal DNA and has been passed down in Mendelian fashion, along with its rapid growth phenotype, over 6 generations. Laboratory studies indicate that our GH transgene enhances growth rates with Atlantic salmon reaching market size (4–6 kg) a year earlier than non-transgenics cultured commercially in Atlantic Canada. This GH gene transfer technology was patented and licensed to Aqua Bounty Farms Inc., and the transgenic salmon are currently under review by various government regulatory authorities in the USA and Canada for use in commercial aquaculture ventures. Our experience with the regulatory authorities, the industry and the press indicates that the successful introduction of transgenic salmon into the aquaculture industry involves issues concerning not only science but also food safety, environmental safety, animal welfare and consumer acceptance. This communication centres on our experience with Atlantic salmon and outlines our plans and progress towards demonstrating the safety of transgenic fish to the consumer and to the environment.

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Vaithinathan Selvaraju ◽  
Megan Phillips ◽  
Anna Fouty ◽  
Jeganathan Ramesh Babu ◽  
Thangiah Geetha

Disparities between the races have been well documented in health and disease in the USA. Recent studies show that telomere length, a marker of aging, is associated with obesity and obesity-related diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. The current study aimed to evaluate the connection between telomere length ratio, blood pressure, and childhood obesity. The telomere length ratio was measured in 127 children from both European American (EA) and African American (AA) children, aged 6–10 years old. AA children had a significantly high relative telomere to the single copy gene (T/S) ratio compared to EA children. There was no significant difference in the T/S ratio between normal weight (NW) and overweight/obese (OW/OB) groups of either race. Blood pressure was significantly elevated in AA children with respect to EA children. Hierarchical regression analysis adjusted for race, gender, and age expressed a significant relationship between the T/S ratio and diastolic pressure. Low T/S ratio participants showed a significant increase in systolic pressure, while a high T/S ratio group showed an increase in diastolic pressure and heart rate of AA children. In conclusion, our findings show that AA children have high T/S ratio compared to EA children. The high T/S ratio is negatively associated with diastolic pressure.


1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
S W Stanfield ◽  
D R Helinski

Small polydisperse circular (spc) DNA was isolated and cloned, using BglII from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The properties of 47 clones containing at least 43 different BglII fragments are reported. The majority of the clones probably contain entire sequences from individual spcDNA molecules. Most of the clones were homologous to sequences in CHO cell chromosomal DNA, and many were also homologous to mouse LMTK- cell chromosomal sequences. The majority of homologous CHO cell chromosomal sequences were repetitive, although a few may be single copy. Only a small fraction of cloned spcDNA molecules were present in every cell; most occurred less frequently than once in 15 cells. Localization studies indicated that at least a portion of spcDNA is associated with the nucleus in CHO cells.


2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 487-501
Author(s):  
Surendra Kumar

Independent regulatory authorities have become an important component of the governance landscape in India and elsewhere. Some regulators have achieved useful outcomes in India. However, the creation of independent sectoral regulators in India has not been accompanied by critical reflection on their role, or attention to the political, legal and institutional contexts within which they operate. Lessons can be learnt from mature regulatory policy countries, such as the USA, the UK and Australia, that the regulatory environment needs to be constantly evaluated to make sure it is keeping pace with the changing technology, business environment and consumer needs and demands. Despite the number of bodies in India that are involved or responsible for regulatory reform, there is one function that seems to be missing and that is of a central oversight function. Most countries have an explicit whole of government regulatory policy and an oversight body, sometimes more than one, that is/are responsible for embedding some of the systemic tools across different parts of the government machinery.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4459-4464 ◽  
Author(s):  
J L Beland ◽  
J A Longo ◽  
P J Hahn

The development of double-minute chromosomes (DMs) and subsequent gene amplification are important genomic alterations resulting in increased oncogene expression in a variety of tumors. The molecular mechanisms mediating the development of these acentric extrachromosomal elements have not been completely defined. To elucidate the mechanisms involved in DM formation, we have developed strategies to map amplified circular DM DNA. In this study, we present a long-range restriction map of a 980-kb DM. A cell line cloned from mouse EMT-6 cells was developed by stepwise selection for resistance to methotrexate. This cloned cell line contains multiple copies of the 980-kb DM carrying the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene. A long-range restriction map was developed in which a hypomethylated CpG-rich region near the DHFR gene served as a landmark. This strategy was combined with plasmid-like analysis of ethidium bromide-stained pulsed-field gels and indicated that a single copy of the DHFR gene was located near a hypomethylated region containing SsII and NotI sites. At least 490 kb of this DM appears to be composed of unrearranged chromosomal DNA.


2014 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Virginia Sanchez-Puerta

This review focuses on plant-to-plant horizontal gene transfer (HGT) involving the three DNA-containing cellular compartments. It highlights the great incidence of HGT in the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) of angiosperms, the increasing number of examples in plant nuclear genomes, and the lack of any convincing evidence for HGT in the well-studied plastid genome of land plants. Most of the foreign mitochondrial genes are non-functional, generally found as pseudogenes in the recipient plant mtDNA that maintains its functional native genes. The few exceptions involve chimeric HGT, in which foreign and native copies recombine leading to a functional and single copy of the gene. Maintenance of foreign genes in plant mitochondria is probably the result of genetic drift, but a possible evolutionary advantage may be conferred through the generation of genetic diversity by gene conversion between native and foreign copies. Conversely, a few cases of nuclear HGT in plants involve functional transfers of novel genes that resulted in adaptive evolution. Direct cell-to-cell contact between plants (e.g. host-parasite relationships or natural grafting) facilitate the exchange of genetic material, in which HGT has been reported for both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, and in the form of genomic DNA, instead of RNA. A thorough review of the literature indicates that HGT in mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of angiosperms is much more frequent than previously expected and that the evolutionary impact and mechanisms underlying plant-to-plant HGT remain to be uncovered.


Genetics ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 130 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-748
Author(s):  
D K Asch ◽  
G Frederick ◽  
J A Kinsey ◽  
D D Perkins

Abstract We have analyzed the junctions involved in two examples of ectopic integration of plasmids containing the am+ (glutamate dehydrogenase) gene into a strain of Neurospora crassa bearing a complete deletion of the am locus. In one transformed strain a single copy of plasmid DNA had been integrated into linkage group (LG) III DNA without the loss of chromosomal DNA. In contrast, 450 bp had been lost from plasmid sequences at the site of integration. The transforming DNA used was circular, so we postulate that the plasmid was linearized and truncated prior to its integration by end joining into a break in LG III DNA. There was no significant homology between the incoming DNA and DNA at the site of integration. The second transformed strain resulted from transformation with a linearized plasmid. It contained multiple integrated copies of plasmid DNA, one of which was recloned, together with adjacent chromosomal DNA, by plasmid rescue in Escherichia coli. Prior to integration into chromosomal DNA, the linear plasmid had been truncated by 64 bp on one end and 3.2 kbp on the other end. One end of the integrated DNA was adjacent to DNA from the right arm of LG I, while the other end was integrated into a copy of a repetitive sequence. Restriction fragment length polymerism mapping showed that integration was in a copy of the repetitive sequence that is linked to the previously unassigned telomere M11 and is distantly linked to the LG VI marker con-11. Genetic analysis revealed that a long segment of LG I containing all markers from un-1 to the right tip has been translocated to the right end of LG VI. Tetrad analysis showed that the integrated DNA was closely linked to the translocation. We conclude that the transforming DNA was truncated and joined to DNA from two different chromosomes by end joining during the formation of a quasiterminal translocation, T(IR----VIR) UK-T12. We also conclude that the previously unassigned telomere, M11, is the right end of LG VI.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4459-4464
Author(s):  
J L Beland ◽  
J A Longo ◽  
P J Hahn

The development of double-minute chromosomes (DMs) and subsequent gene amplification are important genomic alterations resulting in increased oncogene expression in a variety of tumors. The molecular mechanisms mediating the development of these acentric extrachromosomal elements have not been completely defined. To elucidate the mechanisms involved in DM formation, we have developed strategies to map amplified circular DM DNA. In this study, we present a long-range restriction map of a 980-kb DM. A cell line cloned from mouse EMT-6 cells was developed by stepwise selection for resistance to methotrexate. This cloned cell line contains multiple copies of the 980-kb DM carrying the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene. A long-range restriction map was developed in which a hypomethylated CpG-rich region near the DHFR gene served as a landmark. This strategy was combined with plasmid-like analysis of ethidium bromide-stained pulsed-field gels and indicated that a single copy of the DHFR gene was located near a hypomethylated region containing SsII and NotI sites. At least 490 kb of this DM appears to be composed of unrearranged chromosomal DNA.


1982 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
O W McBride ◽  
A S Olsen ◽  
G S Aulakh ◽  
R S Athwal

Transfer of genetic information can be effected by incubation of cultured eucaryotic cells with isolated metaphase chromosomes. In most cases, a resulting transformed cell contains only a fragment of a donor chromosome. The amount of transferred donor DNA has been quantified in 11 independent mouse A9 transformants by nucleic acid hybridization analysis. Each transformant had been selected for hprt (hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase; EC 2.4.2.8) transfer and contained part of the human X chromosome. A labeled probe of transcribed human X-chromosomal DNA was prepared by hybridization of nick-translated unique-sequence human DNA with whole cellular RNA from a human-mouse hybrid cell line, A9/HRBC2-A, containing a single human chromosome., X. The amount of human X-chromosomal DNA in the transformants was quantitated by comparing the hybridization of this probe with transformant and A9/HRBC2-A DNAs. Two unstable transformants which had a microscopically detectable donor chromosome fragment contained 15% of the human X-chromosomal single-copy DNA. Four other unstable transformants contained 4 to 7% of human X-chromosomal DNA sequences. The transferred DNA was below the level of detection in three other unstable and in all three stable transformants. We conclude that the initial transfer event can introduce a substantial amount of genetic information but only smaller amounts of DNA are stably incorporated by integration.


Lex Russica ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 18-29
Author(s):  
G. K. Dmitrieva ◽  
O. V. Lutkova

The article has investigated the mechanisms of the national (both legal and non-legal) regulation of orphan works, i.e. works the holder (holders) of rights to which is (are) not identified and/or the location of the rights-holder is not established. Orphan works are supposedly protected by copyright, which means the validity of exclusive rights and the potential need to obtain permission from the copyright holder for any form of using the works under consideration, namely: reproduction including digitization, translation, processing, etc. However, in a situation where the right holder is not determined (is unavailable), the user does not have an objective opportunity to obtain such a permission, and the work actually remains unknown to the society, although it can be of artistic, cultural or historical value. Since the beginning of the new millennium, the national legal systems of a number of States have establish a special regime for the legal protection of orphan works, and about 20 states of the world have developed the foundations of such a regime so far. The article analyzes the regulation of orphan works in several states — in the EU and its member states, Great Britain, the USA, Canada, Korea, Japan, India. The authors have determined the foundations of the substantive and conflict of laws regulation of cross-border relations regulating orphan works. Features of regulation of works with an unidentified author in the era of a network society are highlighted: in particular, the need to digitize orphan works, since many of them are in a single copy on the medium ruined by time, and the fact that the digitized work can instantly spread from databases to other jurisdictions. The authors provide for the forecast of possible ways of evolution of legal regulation of relations in question with the use of mechanisms of national and international law.


1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rex A. Dunham ◽  
Boaz Moav ◽  
Thomas Chen ◽  
Benzion Cavari

Objectives: To accomplish stable expression, inheritance of transgenes and growth improvement in transgenic channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, and common carp, Cyprinus carpio, containing growth hormone (GH) genes, develop transgenic fish with all fish constructs, determine the relationships between copy number, expression and growth, determine the combined affect of selective breeding and gene transfer and assess environmental risk of transgenic fish. To develop mechanisms of triploidization for transgenic carp. Results: Performance of transgenic channel catfish was made uniform by selection. Growth of channel catfish and common carp was improved 40-50% more by combining gene transfer of GH genes with selection and crossbreeding than with either selection of crossbreeding. Growth improvement of transgenic catfish was not strongly correlated with copy number and expression levels. Progress was made in producting triploid transgenic common carp. Insertion of salmonid GH gene did not alter reproductive performance in channel catfish. Transgenic channel catfish grew no faster than controls when they had to forage on natural food and transgenic individuals were slightly more vulnerable to predation indicating that fitness of transgenic individuals in natural conditions is less than or equal to non-transgenic channel catfish. Contribution to Agriculture: These experiments are the first to demonstrate that transgenic fish can increase aquaculture production in the aquaculture production in the aquaculture environment. This research also demonstrated that maximum benefit of gene transfer in farmed fish is attained when combined with traditional selective breeding.


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