Download Chapter 17 Applications of Molecular Genetics

Production of Eukaryotic
Proteins in Bacteria
Human insulin, human growth hormone, and
other valuable eukaryotic proteins can be
produced economically in genetically
engineered bacteria.
Expression of Human Growth
Hormone in E. coli
Key Points
Valuable proteins that could be isolated from
eukaryotes only in small amounts and at
great expense can now be produced in large
quantities in genetically engineered bacteria.
Proteins such as human insulin and human
growth hormone are valuable
pharmaceuticals used to treat diabetes and
pituitary dwarfism, respectively.
Transgenic Animals
Synthetic, modified, or other foreign genes can
be introduced into animals and plants, and the
resulting transgenic organisms can be used to
study the function of the genes, for example, by
insertional mutagenesis, to produce novel
products, or to serve as animal models for
studies of inherited human diseases.
Production of Transgenic Mice
by DNA Injection into Eggs
Transgenic Mice Expressing
Human Growth Hormone
Reverse Genetics:
Dissecting Biological Processes
by Inhibiting Gene Expression
Reverse genetic approaches make use
of known nucleotide sequences to
devise procedures for inhibiting the
expression of specific genes.
Reverse Genetics
Reverse genetic approaches use the
nucleotide sequences of genes to devise
procedures for isolating null mutations in
them or shutting off their expression.
The function of a gene often can be deduced
by studying organisms lacking any functional
product of the gene.
Knockout Mice
Production of Gene-targeted
Embryonic Stem Cell Technology