New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Invited paper
Recent advances and future options for New Zealand agriculture
derived from animal cloning and transgenics
G. Laible
D. N. Wells
Reproductive Technologies
AgResearch Ltd
Ruakura Research Centre
Private Bag 3123
Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
goetz.laible@agresearch.co.nz
Abstract An efficient animal cloning
technology, using the procedure of nuclear transfer (NT), coupled with
the genetic modification of cultured cells, would provide many new
opportunities for livestock agriculture. It is still remarkable that NT
using differentiated donor cells can produce physiologically normal
animals, but the process is inefficient and highly prone to epigenetic
errors. Aberrant patterns of gene expression in clones contribute to
the cumulative losses and abnormal phenotypes observed throughout
development. This raises animal welfare concerns that currently limit
the acceptability and applicability of the technology. Importantly, it
appears that these clone-associated phenotypes are not transmitted to
offspring following sexual reproduction. It is expected that methods
which improve the reprogramming of the donor genome following NT will
increase cloning efficiencies to realise the full potential of this
reproductive technology. Efficient cloning potentially enables rapid
dissemination of elite genotypes from nucleus herds to commercial
producers. Initial applications will, however, focus on producing small
numbers of high value animals for natural breeding, especially clones
of progeny-tested sires. The continual advances in animal genomics
towards the identification of genes that influence livestock production
traits and human health increase the ability to genetically modify
animals to enhance efficiency and produce superior quality food and
biomedical products for niche markets. The -potential opportunities for
animal agriculture are more challenging though, because of the greater
demands on cost, efficiency, consumer acceptance and relative value of
the product in contrast to biomedicine, which has been the main driver
for this technology platform. Nevertheless, cloning and transgenesis
are being used together to increase the genetic merit of livestock;
however, the integration of this technology into practical farming
systems remains some distance in the future.
Keywords animal breeding; biopharming; bovine;
cloning; genetic modification; milk; nuclear transfer; reprogramming;
transgenesis
A06057; Online publication date 20 April 2007; Received 13
October 2006; accepted 30 January 2007
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2007, Vol. 50:
103—124
0028—8233/07/5002—0103 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2007
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