Recombinant DNA

BIOCHEMISTRY 3(2+1)
Lesson 28 : DNA and RNA Structures and Protein Synthesis

Recombinant DNA

Recombinant DNA - contains DNA from 2 different sources. Organisms that have had a foreign gene inserted into them are called transgenic organisms or genetically modified organisms.

Use of Recombinant DNA research

  1. in Bacteria - used to produce large amounts of protein, eg insulin, human growth hormone, and hepatitis vaccine.

  2. in plants - genes transferred to cotton, corn, and potato strains have made these plants resistant to pests, because these cells produce an insect toxin.
  3. Plants have also been engineered to produce, hormones, clotting factors and antibodies

  4. in animals - genepharming using transgenic organisms to produce pharmaceuticals eg genes that code for therapeutic and diagnostic proteins are incorporated in and animal's DNA and appear in milk. There are plans to produce drugs for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, cancer, blood diseases, and other disorders. Antithrombi III used for preventing blood clots in surgery is being produced by a herd of goats

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Last modified: Tuesday, 24 January 2012, 10:07 AM