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Chapter 20: Problem 25

What is the difference between a knockout animal and a transgenic animal?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: Knockout animals are organisms with a specific gene inactivated or "knocked out" to study its role and function, while transgenic animals have a foreign gene inserted into their genome to study its effects. Knockout animals are generated using gene targeting techniques like homologous recombination or CRISPR/Cas9, while transgenic animals are generated using methods like microinjection or viral vectors. Knockout animals are used primarily for loss-of-function studies and the development of new therapies, while transgenic animals are used to study gain-of-function effects, gene regulation, and the production of recombinant proteins.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Knockout Animal

A knockout animal is an organism, generally mice, in which a specific gene has been inactivated or "knocked out" by disrupting its function. This is done to study the role and function of that specific gene in the organism.
02

Definition of Transgenic Animal

A transgenic animal is an organism, usually a mouse, that has had a foreign gene (called a transgene) from another organism inserted into its genome. This addition of new genetic material allows researchers to study the effects and functions of that gene in the host organism.
03

Generation of Knockout Animals

Knockout animals are generated using gene targeting techniques, such as homologous recombination or CRISPR/Cas9, to disrupt a specific gene. This can be done in embryonic stem cells, which are then injected into a developing embryo to produce a knockout animal.
04

Generation of Transgenic Animals

Transgenic animals are generated by introducing a foreign gene into the organism's genome using techniques like microinjection or viral vectors. The transgene can be either injected into a fertilized egg or directly into the host organism, where it may integrate into the genome.
05

Function of Knockout Animals

Knockout animals are used primarily to understand the loss of function of a specific gene. By comparing the phenotypes of knockout animals to their wild-type counterparts, researchers can better understand the role of that gene in development, physiology, and disease.
06

Function of Transgenic Animals

Transgenic animals are mainly used to study gain-of-function effects, where the presence of the transgene leads to new or altered phenotypes in the host organism. Transgenic animals can also be used for the production of recombinant proteins, gene therapy studies, and the study of gene regulation and expression.
07

Application of Knockout Animals

Knockout animal models are widely used in the field of genetics and disease research, allowing researchers to study gene function, understand genetic pathways, and develop new therapies for human diseases.
08

Application of Transgenic Animals

Transgenic animal models are used in various research fields, including studying gene functions, characterizing gene expression patterns, developing gene therapy, and producing useful recombinant proteins, like human insulin or therapeutic antibodies.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

To create a cDNA library, cDNA can be inserted into vectors and cloned. In the analysis of \(\mathrm{cDNA}\) clones, it is often difficult to find clones that are full length-that is, many clones are shorter than the mature mRNA molecules from which they are derived. Why is this so?

What are the advantages of using a restriction enzyme whose recognition site is relatively rare? When would you use such enzymes?

The introduction of genes into plants is a common practice that has generated not only a host of genetically modified foodstuffs, but also significant worldwide controversy. Interestingly, a tumor-inducing plasmid is often used to produce genetically modified plants. Is the use of a tumor-inducing plasmid the source of such controversy?

List the steps involved in screening a genomic library. What must be known before starting such a procedure? What are the potential problems with such a procedure, and how can they be overcome or minimized?

In a control experiment, a plasmid containing a HindIII recognition sequence within a kanamycin resistance gene is cut with HindIII, re-ligated, and used to transform \(E\). coli \(\mathrm{K} 12\) cells. Kanamycin-resistant colonies are sclected, and plasmid DNA from these colonies is subjected to electrophoresis. Most of the colonies contain plasmids that produce single bands that migrate at the same rate as the original intact plasmid. A few colonies, however, produce two bands, one of original size and one that migrates much higher in the gel. Diagram the origin of this slow band as a product of ligation.
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