Transgenic Animals

Aaron Azose and Brian Tarcea

www.newscientist.com

www.CartoonStock.com

Changes in photosynthetic and respiratory activity in E. chlorotica symbiotically associated with V. litorea chloroplasts and cultured over a 7-month period in the absence of algae.

Green B et al. Plantphysiol 2000;124:331-342

2000 by American Society of Plant Biologists

What sustains long term endosymbiont activity?

http://sbe.umaine.edu/symbio/3Slug/3kleptoplasts. html

Expression of psbO in V. litorea and E. chlorotica.

Rumpho M E et al. PNAS 2008;105:17867-17871

2008 by National Academy of Sciences

CHX inhibits synthesis of LHCI

If 20th century biology was about taking living things apart to find out how they work, the current era is defined by putting them back together, but not necessarily as evolution decreed, and certainly without the clumsy constraints of mating. (Adam Rutherford)

Spider Silk The future of everything

Spider-silk has tons of industrial potential Material of the future

Nephila clavipes (Golden Orb-

Cannot farm spiders to get enough of the silk Spiders are cannibalistic and highly territorial Above gown took 80+ people 5 years to silk more than 1 million Nephila spiders

TRANSGENIC SOLUTION: Spidergoats! Please tell me more

Why bacteria will not work

Bacteria cannot do adequate posttranslational folding and packaging for dragline silk proteins Resulting proteins coagulate and have solubility problems.

So lets say I want to make a transgenic goat

Stick the genes where? Why the mammary tissues?

Transgene s Not near milk production genes In order to recover proteins: Dead animal. Do not pass Go. No more protein.

Near milk production genes

Repeat process. Pass Go. Collect more protein.

Isolate and purify proteins from goat milk

Goat produces 800 L milk/year 5g recombinant protein/L Around 4 kg protein/year/goat

Challenges faced after protein production

Spinning into actual fibers similar to dragline silk is very difficult.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v410/n6828/full/410541a0.

So what can we do with the stuff? Answer: AWESOME STUFF!!!!

Lightweight, super-strong textiles (bullet proof armor, et) Ropes/fibers/nets/industria l materials Medical uses

suture thread, artificial ligaments/tendons, weak blood vessel support, bandages Nerve grafts, tissue regeneration

Parachutes

Ethical Issues?

Other fun things to do

Glow-in-the-dark cats!

Use jellyfish genes as a marker for successful genetic recombination Used in HIV/AIDS research to test the effectiveness of splicing monkey SIV immunity into cats.

Tobacco

Plans for further research: Plants as bioreactors

Sustainable Grow faster and in larger quantities After protein/gene product extraction, can be converted into biofuels. High potential for vaccines or drugs Could require little to no processing
Dangers: Could outcross in the field. Much more difficult to control and prevent the propagation of transgenes into the wild.

Alfalfa: High protein content. Promising crop