Transgenic plants for phytoremediation

Phytoremediation is a green, sustainable and promising solution to problems of environmental contamination. It entails the use of plants for uptake, sequestration, detoxification or volatilization of inorganic and organic pollutants from soils, water, sediments and possibly air. Phytoremediation was born from the observation that plants possessed physiological properties useful for environmental remediation. This was shortly followed by the application of breeding techniques and artificial selection to genetically improve some of the more promising and interesting species. Now, after nearly 20 years of research, transgenic plants for phytoremediation have been produced, but none have reached commercial existence. Three main approaches have been developed: (1) transformation with genes from other organisms (mammals, bacteria, etc.); (2) transformation with genes from other plant species; and (3) overexpression of genes from the same plant species. Many encouraging results have been reported, even though in some instances results have been contrary to expectations. This review will illustrate the main examples with a critical discussion of what we have learnt from them.     

Transgenic markers for mammalian chimeras

Summary We describe the construction of aggregation chimeras between normal and transgenic embryos containing multiple copies of mouse -globin genes. The transgenic component of the chimeras is then detected in tissue sections by a DNA-DNA in situ hybridization technique, using a biotinylated DNA -globin probe and an avidin-linked alkaline phosphatase detection system. The general advantages of transgenic markers for chimeras are discussed.     

Transgenic mouse models for ADHD

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity that adversely affect many aspects of life. Whereas the etiology of ADHD remains unknown, growing evidence indicates a genetic involvement in the development of this disorder. The brain circuits associated with ADHD are rich in monoamines, which are involved in the mechanism of action of psychostimulants and other medications used to treat this disorder. Dopamine (DA) is believed to play a major role in ADHD but other neurotransmitters are certainly also involved. Genetically modified mice have become an indispensable tool used to analyze the contribution of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of human disorders. Although rodent models cannot fully recapitulate complex human psychiatric disorders such as ADHD, transgenic mice offer an opportunity to directly investigate in vivo the specific roles of novel candidate genes identified in ADHD patients. Several knock-out and transgenic mouse models have been proposed as ADHD models, mostly based on targeting genes involved in DA transmission, including the gene encoding the dopamine transporter (DAT1). These mutant models provided an opportunity to evaluate the contribution of dopamine-related processes to brain pathology, to dissect the neuronal circuitry and molecular mechanisms involved in the antihyperkinetic action of psychostimulants and to evaluate novel treatments for ADHD. New transgenic models mouse models targeting other genes have recently been proposed for ADHD. Here, we discuss the recent advances and pitfalls in modeling ADHD endophenotypes in genetically altered animals.     

Transgenic strategies for the nutritional enhancement of plants

The nutrients in the human diet ultimately come from plants. However, all our major food crops lack certain essential vitamins and minerals. Although a varied diet provides adequate nutrition, much of the human population, particularly in developing countries, relies on staple crops, such as rice or maize, which does not provide the full complement of essential nutrients. Malnutrition is a significant public health issue in most of the developing world. One way to address this problem is through the enhancement of staple crops to increase their essential nutrient content. Here, we review the current strategies for the biofortification of crops, including mineral fertilization and conventional breeding but focusing on transgenic approaches which offer the most rapid way to develop high-nutrient commercial cultivars.     

Transgenic plants for the production of veterinary vaccines

The expression of antigens in transgenic plants has been increasingly used in the development of experimental vaccines, particularly oriented to the development of edible vaccines. Hence, this technology becomes highly suitable to express immunogenic proteins from pathogens. Foot and mouth disease virus, bovine rotavirus and bovine viral diarrhoea virus are considered to be the most important causative agents of economic loss of cattle production in Argentina, and they are thus optimal candidates for alternative means of immunization. Here, we present a review of our results corresponding to the expression of immunogenic proteins from these three viruses in alfalfa transgenic plants, and we discuss the possibility of using them for the development of plant-based vaccines.     

转基因植物中报道基因GUS的活性检测及其应用

GUS基因是目前转基因植物中应用最为广泛的报道基因。GUS基因在转基因植物中的活性检测方法有组织化学定位法、分光光度法、荧光分析法、聚丙烯酰胺凝胶原位分析法等。     

Transgenic salmon: tailoring the genome for food production

The production of transgenic salmon using gene transfer technology is described. Both antifreeze proteins and growth hormone genes have been successfully transferred. The expression, inheritance and phenotypes are examined using a wide variety of techniques. The development of new transgenics will be beneficial to aquaculture.     

Transgenic models for cytokine-induced neurological disease

Considerable evidence supports the idea that cytokines are important mediators of pathophysiologic processes within the central nervous system (CNS). Numerous studies have documented the increased production of various cytokines in the human CNS in a variety of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Deciphering cytokine actions in the intact CNS has important implications for our understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of these disorders. One approach to address this problem that has been used widely employs transgenic mice with CNS-targeted production of different cytokines. Transgenic production of cytokines in the CNS of mice allows not only for the investigation of complex cellular responses at a localized level in the intact brain but also more closely recapitulates the expression of these mediators as found in disease states. As discussed in this review, the findings show that these transgenic animals exhibit wide-ranging structural and functional deficits that are linked to the development of distinct neuroinflammatory responses which are relatively specific for each cytokine. These cytokine-induced alterations often recapitulate those found in various human neurological disorders not only underscoring the relevance of these models but also reinforcing the clinicopathogenetic significance of cytokines in diseases of the CNS.     

Transgenic trees for a new era

Summary Traditional breeding has been widely used in forestry. However, this technique is inefficient because trees have a long and complex life cycle that is not amenable to strict control by man. Fortunately, the development of genetic engineering is offering new ways of breeding and allowing the incorporation of new traits in plant species through the introduction of foreign genes (transgenes). The introduction of selected traits can be used to increase the productivity and commercial value of trees and other plants. For example, some species have been endowed with resistance to herbicide and pathogens such as insects and fungi. Also, it has been possible to introduce genes that modify development and wood quality, and induce sexual sterility. The development of transgenic trees has required the implementation of in vitro regeneration techniques such as organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. Release of transgenic species into the agricultural market requires a standardized biosafety regulatory frame and effective communication between the scientific community and society to dissipate the suspicions associated with transgenic products.     

转基因猪异种器官移植应用前景

转基因猪能为人类提供可移植的异种器官,解决移植器官短缺的问题.但是,异种移植后产生的免疫排斥反应,主要包括超急性排斥反应和迟发性排斥反应,它们最终将导致移植物的致命损伤,是限制异种器官广泛应用的最大障碍.最近的一些研究,在克服免疫排斥方面已经取得了可喜的成果.作为异种器官供体,猪携带的内源性逆转录病毒也可能对人体产生潜在的威胁.迄今,还没有研究证明其不会感染人类机体.本文针对异种器官移植后的免疫排斥发生的机理,克服免疫排斥的方法以及逆转录病毒的潜在感染等方面进行了综述和讨论.     

Transgenic mouse models for the prevention of breast cancer

Breast cancer prevention research has made remarkable progress in the past decade. Much of this progress has come from clinical trials. However, in the future to test the many promising agents that are now available, pre-clinical models of breast cancer are needed. Such models are now available. Useful models include rat and mouse models, particularly, the genetically engineered mice (GEM). Many transgenic mouse models have been generated by manipulating growth factors and their receptors, cell cycle regulators, signal transduction pathways, cellular differentiation, oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. The transgenes are induced to express in the mouse mammary glands under the control of various transgenic promoters, which have respective characteristics in expression pattern and other biological attributes. These models are providing invaluable insight on the molecular mechanisms of breast tumorigenesis. In this review, we discuss the relative relevance of the most commonly used transgenic mouse models for breast cancer prevention studies, and provide examples of how these transgenic models can be used to conduct cancer prevention research. Due to the multi-factor, multi-step nature of breast cancer, many factors should be incorporated into a valid prevention study. However, many barriers to progress must be overcome, including access to and availability of new cancer preventive drugs, and difficulties in conducting studies of combinations of preventive agents.     

Transgenic sheep designed for transplantation studies

Lentiviral vectors have recently emerged as an efficient method of transgene delivery to the germline of animals. We now demonstrate that combining this efficiency with embryo splitting procedures enables the production of monozygotic twins, one of which is transgenic. We propose that this approach can be used to generate animals in which cell or tissue transplantation can be achieved without the use of immunosuppressive regimes.     

转基因植物在环境污染监测中的应用

在通常情况下,污染物的存在很难被发现。它们对环境和人类的潜在危害就更加难以估计。在众多生物监测体系中,转基因植物监测系统脱颖而出。综述了几种成功应用于污染物质遗传毒性监测的转基因植物系统,并对今后生产高效率转基因植物监测体系的关键问题进行了探讨。     

Transgenic swine for biomedicine and agriculture

Initial technologies for creating transgenic swine only permitted random integration of the construct. However, by combining the technology for homologous recombination in fetal somatic cells with that of nuclear transfer (NT), it is now possible to create specific modifications to the swine genome. The first such example is that of knocking out a gene that is responsible for hyperacute rejection (HAR) when organs from swine are transferred to primates. Because swine are widely used as models of human diseases, there are opportunities for genetic modification to alter these models or to create additional models of human disease. Unfortunately, some of the offspring resulting from NT have abnormal phenotypes. However, it appears that these abnormal phenotypes are a result of epigenetic modifications and, thus, are not transmitted to the offspring of the clones. Although the technique of producing animals with specific genetic modifications by NT has been achieved, improvements to the NT technique as well as improvements in the culture conditions for somatic cells and the techniques for genetic modification are still needed.     

转基因家兔模型制作方法

作为生物医学研究重要的实验动物模型,转基因家兔已经被广泛应用在人类心脑血管疾病、艾滋病以及癌症等生物医学研究领域,特别是利用转基因家兔模型在人类动脉粥样硬化实验研究中已经取得了令人注目的成绩。本文结合我们自己制作转基因家兔的经验、研究成果以及文献资料,详细介绍了利用原核显微注射法、直接将外源基因注入受精卵雄原核中的转基因家兔制作技术,回顾了利用转基因家兔模型在生物医学研究中取得的重要进展。     

Transgenic plants as factories for biopharmaceuticals

Plants have considerable potential for the production of biopharmaceutical proteins and peptides because they are easily transformed and provide a cheap source of protein. Several biotechnology companies are now actively developing, field testing, and patenting plant expression systems, while clinical trials are proceeding on the first biopharmaceuticals derived from them. One transgenic plant-derived biopharmaceutical, hirudin, is now being commercially produced in Canada for the first time. Product purification is potentially an expensive process, and various methods are currently being developed to overcome this problem, including oleosin-fusion technology, which allows extraction with oil bodies. In some cases, delivery of a biopharmaceutical product by direct ingestion of the modified plant potentially removes the need for purification. Such biopharmaceuticals and edible vaccines can be stored and distributed as seeds, tubers, or fruits, making immunization programs in developing countries cheaper and potentially easier to administer. Some of the most expensive biopharmaceuticals of restricted availability, such as glucocerebrosidase, could become much cheaper and more plentiful through production in transgenic plants.