Transgenic Animal Production and Applications

Abstract

A transgenic animal is an animal in which foreign DNA has been incorporated into its original DNA. The generation of transgenic animals is one of the most complex aspects of genetic engineering, both in terms of technical difficulty and in the ethical problems that arise. To establish a transgenic animal, foreign DNA constructs need to be introduced into the animal’s genome, using recombinant DNA technology, so that the construct is stably maintained, expressed and passed on to subsequent generations. The first successful transgenic animal was a super mouse since that time the development of transgenic animals and the exploration of their applications has been a steady process, although at a slower rate than what was initially expected. DNA microinjection, Somatic cell nuclear transfer, Embryonic stem (ES) cells mediated gene transfer and Retrovirus-mediated gene transfer are the commonly used methods to transfer foreign gene from one species to another. Use of transgenic animals will provide solutions for disease model, drug research, food production and improved disease resistance. This review summarizes recent research based on the transgenic animal production and their potential applications.

Keywords: Application;  Production;  Transgenesis ; Transgenic animals