Modification of performance traits, Biology

Assignment Help:

Modification of performance traits

Modifications to livestock that could influence traits such as growth rate, feed efficiency and meat quality are major goals for livestock breeding in agriculture. Mice in which the myostatin gene has been knocked out have considerably more skeletal muscle than wild type controls. The double-muscle phenotype of some breeds of cattle is caused by natural mutations of this gene and these are widely bred in Europe for improved meat quality. Knockout of this gene in sheep or pigs could produce animals with increased skeletal muscle mass and improved meat quality, although there are clearly major ethical issues relating to animal welfare that would have to be considered if these types of animal were generated.

Other areas of transgenic applications in animal agriculture include modifying milk composition to increase milk proteins, to decrease milk fat or to change milk composition to provide a source of milk for lactose-intolerant individuals or to provide a source of milk that is more efficiently processed into cheese. An area that definitely needs more exploration is the use of the chicken oviduct as a bioreactor. This approach has numerous advantages over the transgenic mammary gland. To name a few, the ease of collecting the product, short generation times, quantity, safety and low costs are unmatched by the traditional approach of transgenic milk. However, this system is still in its infancy because micromanipulation of the chicken embryo is very difficult, and transgenic chickens are often mosaics. It is also possible that the best protein expression levels will be obtained when multiple copies of transgene integrate into a particular favourable chromosomal locus. Cloning will greatly reduce timeliness to get therapeutic products to the market by producing large number of genetically identical transgenic livestock animals in the first generation.


Related Discussions:- Modification of performance traits

Define nutrition counseling - management of eating disorders, Define Nutrit...

Define Nutrition Counseling - Management of Eating Disorders? Nutrition counseling can be used to accomplish a variety of goals, such as reducing behaviours related to the eati

Explain fixed performance system in oxygen therapy, Explain fixed performan...

Explain fixed performance system in oxygen therapy? Fixed Performance Systems: These devices are capable of delivering a fixed, preset concentration of oxygen regardless of t

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (bse), B o vi n e spongiform encephalo...

B o vi n e spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a transmissible, neurodegenerative, fatal brain disease of cattle characterized by post

Nuclear membrane - structure of nucleus, KARYOTHEC A OR NUCLEAR MEMBRANE ...

KARYOTHEC A OR NUCLEAR MEMBRANE It is also called Nucleolemma, term given by Erclab & Hertwig. Karyotheca composed of two unit membranes separated by a 150-300 A° wide p

Sublimation-evaporation-transpiration-water cycle , Sublimation is the pr...

Sublimation is the process by which solid water changes directly to vapour phase without passing through the intervening liquid phase. The gradual disappearance of flakes of ice

Cells, describe the cell theory and its exception

describe the cell theory and its exception

Summer stratification - thermal stratification, Summer Stratification - The...

Summer Stratification - Thermal stratification Thermal stratification is fairly pronounced during the summer seasons in most lakes of the temperate (cold) regions but is rare

Origin of regeneration cells of blastema, Origin of Regeneration Cells of B...

Origin of Regeneration Cells of Blastema The origin of the cells making the blastema in vertebrates has been investigated by various workers in the case of regenerating legs

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd