CHAPTER 13 –
GENETIC ENGINEERING
13-1 Changing the Living World
• Selective Breeding – allowing only those animals with
desired characteristics to produce the next generation
• Humans use selective breeding, which takes advantage of
naturally occurring genetic variation in plants, animals, and
other organisms, to pass desired traits on to the next
generation of organisms
• Nearly all domestic animals and most crop plants have been
produced by selective breeding.
• American botanist Luther Burbank was a selective plant
breeder. He developed the disease-resistant Burbank potato,
which was taken to Ireland to help fight potato blight and
other diseases. He developed more than 800 varieties of
plants
• Hybridization - Crossing different individuals to bring
together the best of both organisms
• Hybrids – the individuals produced by these crosses
• Hybrids are usually stronger than either of the parents (In
many cases, Burbank’s hybrid crosses combined the disease
resistance of one plant with the food-producing capacity of
another)This helped farmers increase food production
• Inbreeding – the continued breeding of individuals with
similar characteristics.
• Many breeds of dogs, from beagles to poodles, are
maintained by inbreeding.
• Inbreeding helps to ensure that the characteristics that make
each breed unique will be preserved.
• Risk of inbreeding – there is a chance that a cross between
two individuals will bring together two recessive alleles for a
genetic defect.
• Serious problems in many breeds of dogs, including
blindness and joint deformities in German shepherds and
golden retrievers, have resulted from excessive inbreeding.
Increasing Variation
• Breeders can increase the genetic variation in a population
by inducing mutations, which are the ultimate source of
genetic variability
• Breeders can increase the mutation rate by using radiation
and chemicals.
• Many mutations are harmful to the organism, but breeders
can produce a few mutants with desirable characteristics
that are not found in the original population.
• Scientists have been able to develop hundreds of useful
bacterial strains.
• Ex – bacteria that can digest oil, once used to clean up oil
spills
• Plants can handle extra sets of chromosomes, called
polyploid (usually fatal in animals)
• These plants are usually larger and stronger (ex - day lilies)
13-2 Manipulating DNA
Scientists use their knowledge of the structure of DNA and its
chemical properties to study and change DNA molecules.
Different techniques are used to extract DNA from cells, to cut
DNA into smaller pieces, to identify the sequence of bases in a
DNA molecule, and to make unlimited copies of DNA.
The Tools of Molecular Biology
• Genetic Engineering – making changes in the DNA code of a
living organism
• DNA Extraction – to get DNA out of a cell, it can be extracted
by opening the cell and separated the DNA from the other
cell parts.
Cutting DNA – DNA molecules from most organisms are too
large to be analyzed, so biologist cut them into smaller
fragments using restriction enzymes. Each one cuts DNA at a
specific sequence of nucleotides.
• Separating DNA – Separate and analyze DNA fragments using
gel electrophoresis
• Gel Electrophoresis – a mixture of DNA fragments is placed
at one end of a porous gel, and an electric voltage is applied
to the gel. When the power is turned on, DNA molecules,
which are negatively charged, move toward the positive end
of the gel. The smaller the DNA fragment, the faster and
farther it moves.
• Can be used to compare genomes of different organisms or
locate and identify one particular gene out of the tens of
thousands of genes in an individual’s genome.
Using the DNA Sequence
• Once DNA is in a manageable form, its sequence can be
read, studied, and even changed.
• Knowing the sequence of an organism’s DNS allows
researchers to study specific genes, compare them with
genes of other organisms, and try to discover the functions
of different genes and gene combinations
Reading the Sequence – to read DNA, researchers place a
single strand of DNA in a test tube and add DNA polymerase
and the four nucleotide bases, A,T,G, and C to the test tube.
New DNA strands are made one after another.
Cutting and Pasting – Short sequences can be assembled
using laboratory machines called DNA synthesizers. Synthetic
sequences can be joined to natural ones using enzymes that
splice DNA together. These enzymes make it possible to take a
gene from one organism and attach it to the DNA of another
organism. These DNA molecules are called recombinant DNA
Making Copies – In order to study genes, biologists often need
to make many copies of a particular gene. Polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) allows biologists to make copies.
13-3 Cell Transformation
During transformation, a cell takes in DNA from
outside the cell. This external DNA becomes a
component of the cell’s DNA
Transforming Bacteria
Steps in transforming bacteria:
Foreign DNA is joined to a small, circular DNA
molecule known as a plasmid. Plasmids are found
naturally in some bacteria.
The plasmid has a genetic marker, which is a
gene that makes it possible to distinguish
bacteria that carry the plasmid (and the
foreign DNA) from those that don’t.
Genes for resistance to antibiotics are
commonly used as markers.
A marker makes it possible for researchers to
mix recombinant plasmids with a culture of
bacteria, add enough DNA to transform one
cell in a million, and still be able to “find”
that cell.
After transformation, the culture is treated
with an antibiotic. Only those rare cells that
have been transformed survive, because they
carry a resistance gene.
One way to use bacteria to produce human
growth hormone is to insert a human gene
into bacterial DNA. The new combination of
genes is then returned to a bacterial cell. The
bacterial cell containing the gene replicates
over and over.
Transforming Plant Cells
Many plant cells can be transformed by using
a process that takes advantage of a bacterium.
In nature, this bacterium inserts a small DNA
plasmid that produces tumors into plant cells.
Researchers discovered that they can make
the tumor-producing gene inactive and insert
a piece of foreign DNA into the plasmid. The
recombinant plasmid can then be used to
infect plant cells.
When their cell walls are removed, plant cells
will sometimes take up DNA on their own, or
DNA can be injected directly into some cells.
If transformation is successful, the
recombinant DNA is integrated into one of
the chromosomes of the cell.
Transforming Animal Cells
Animal cells can be transformed in some of the
same ways as plant cells. Many egg cells are
large enough that DNA can be directly injected
into the nucleus. Once inside the nucleus,
enzymes normally responsible for DNA repair
and recombination may help to insert the foreign
DNA into the chromosomes of the injected cell.
Marker genes help biologists identify which cells
have been transformed.
This can be used to treat some disorders.
13-4 Applications of Genetic Engineering
Transgenic Organisms
Transgenic mean containing genes from other
organisms.
A gene from one organism can be inserted
into cells from another organism. These
transformed cells can be used to grow new
organisms.
Genetic engineering has spurred the growth
of biotechnology, which is a new industry that
is changing the way we interact with the
living world.
Transgenic Microorgansms
Transgenic bacteria produce a lot of important
substances useful for health and industry.
Bacteria transformed with the genes for human
proteins now produce these important compounds
cheaply and in great abundance.
(ex – insulin, growth hormone, clotting factor, etc)
Transgenic Animals
Transgenic animals have been used to study
genes and to improve the food supply. Mice
have been produced with human genes that
make their immune systems act similarly to
those of humans. This helps scientists to
study the effects of diseases on the human
immune system.
Transgenic livestock have been produced
with extra copies of growth hormone genes,
which would make them grow faster and
produce meat that is less fatty.
Scientists are trying to produce transgenic
chickens that will be resistant to the bacterial
infections that can cause food poisoning.
Transgenic Plants
Transgenic plants are now an important part
of our food supply.
Many can produce a natural insecticide.
Others have genes that enable them to resist
weed-killing chemicals (allows crops to
survive while weeds are controlled)
Transgenic plants may soon produce human
antibodies that can be used to fight disease or
food that is resistant to rotting.
Cloning
Clone – a member of a population of
genetically identical cells produced from a
single cell. (an EXACT copy)
In 1997, Scottish scientist Ian Wilmut cloned
a sheep. The nucleus of an egg cell is
removed. The cell is fused with a cell taken
from another adult. The fused cell begins to
divide and the embryo is placed in the
reproductive system of a foster mother, where
it develops normally. Wilmut named the
sheep Dolly.
Since then, cows, pigs, mice, and other
mammals have also been cloned. Scientists
hope that cloning will help save endangered
species. Cloning is very controversial.
Cloned animals could have genetic defects
and health problems.