Use of recombinant DNA technology in agriculture, industry and health sciences

7 min readJun 4, 2020

INTRODUCTION:

Recombinant DNA technology is also known as Genetic engineering in which we can modify the genetic material of an organism, we can transfer genetic material from one organism to another one or we can remove the genes.

The genes transfer in between bacteria of the same Escherichia coli species Gives a strong base to Recombinant DNA Technology in 1970s.Aftrer that in 1978 Cohen and colleagues progressed to transfer insulin synthesis gene into a plasmid of E.coli

Now a days Recombinant DNA Technology is used in every field of life to improve the quality of life major uses of Recombinant DNA technology is in agriculture, vaccine designing, Gene therapy and medicine industry one more field of this technology is also working is bio remediation in which the toxic chemicals are converted into less toxic and non-toxic ones with the help of GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) which is very useful way to reduce pollution from the environment.

In 1971, the first debate over the risks to humans of exposure to GMOs began when a common intestinal microorganism, E. coli, was infected with DNA from a tumor-inducing virus (Davos et al., 2007). Initially, safety issues were a concern to individuals working in laboratories with GMOs, as well as nearby residents. However, later debate arose over concerns that recombinant organisms might be used as weapons. The growing debate, initially restricted to scientists, eventually spread to the public, and in 1974, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee to begin to address some of these issues.

AGRICULTURE:

Gene transfer is the major key feature of this technology in the field of agriculture. Not only gene transfer from the same species but also from different one.

Transgenic plants are produced which gives higher yield, good in health and increased resistance to pests.

Plants are modified to improve tolerance from abiotic stress. For Example Genetically Modified Tomatoes and canola plants tolerate 300% greater salt level than the normal one.

Insect Resistant plants are also produced in which Cry genes are used to modify the plant which are isolated from bacteria.

Tobacco is the first plant which is modified from its disease tobacco mosaic virus. Plants are modified to become resistant against diseases.

Some plant seeds are also used to produce desired protein stock. Seeds from the market are used for the production of desired protein and the protein is extracted from seeds.

Edible vaccines are produced by the isolation of genes encoding antigenic protein from the pathogen. Which are expressed in plants producing antigen can be eaten for vaccination.

INDUSTRY:

Molecular biology merged with traditional microbiology to improve the industrial production. Primary and secondary metabolites, Vitamins, proteins and enzymes are produced or formed for industrial usage.

In primary metabolites amino acids, nucleotides, vitamins, solvents and organic acids are formed with the help of Recombinant DNA technology.

In Vitamins B12 is produced by fermentation process by utilizing fungus Ashbya gossypii. Vitamin B12 is also produced by direct fermentation by utilizing Streptomyces species like Streptomyces griseus.

Vitamin C is produced by usage of Gluconobacter oxydans.P-carotene is produced by members of chonephoreceae family of Phycomycetes.

E. coli and cloning vector pBR322 were used to increase the genes for the production of amino acids like glutamic acid, valine and phenylalanine.

Most useful feed and food additives are amino acids L-lysine and L-glutamate.

Enzymes are biological molecules that catalyze increase the rates of chemical reaction without being used or chemically unchanged. In food industry recombinant enzymes playing very important role amylases from fungi and plants for making high fructose corn syrup.

Proteases are used by biscuit manufacturers to lower the protein level of flour.

Cheese is manufactured by chymosin derived from renal. Amino acids and peptides are used by yeast for fermentation. Proteases split the polysaccharides and proteins in the malt.

Prochymosin genes are isolated from young calves and then transferred to plasmid and the plasmid is then introduced into microorganisms on expression of this pro chymosin is activated in chymosin which produce pure chymosin.

First step is the milk clotting process in cheese making in which k-caseinolytic enzymes contribute to micelle precipitation and because of its specificity towards k-casein is best enzyme for this purpose.

Cellulase enzyme are used for the breakdown of cellulose into sugars that can be fermented in biofuel industry

Restriction enzymes, polymerases and DNA ligase are used for the manipulate DNA in genetic engineering which is important in pharmacology agriculture and medicine for the use of forensic science.

Increasing product, it is not always positive because different factors may interfere to prevent it from being successful. Considering health issues, the recombinant technology is helping in treating several diseases which cannot be treated in normal conditions, although the immune responses hinder achieving good results.

HEALTH SCIENCE:

Recombinant DNA Technology play important role to improve the life style of mankind. In health science its role is very significant it provide us good quality of food medicines hormones and other important things which are very useful.

Human Insulin:

Diabetics is unable to produce required amount of insulin which is use for the breakdown of sugar into energy which our body use .in past the deficiency of insulin is fulfil from pigs and cow’s purified insulin but there is a problem with nonhuman insulin it causes allergic reactions. This problem is solved with the help of recombinant DNA technology by the production of Human insulin in laboratory.

The estimated market revenue of human insulin products worldwide from 2015 to 2021. For 2021, the global market revenue for such products is estimated to be around 44 billion U.S. dollars. ( https://www.statista.com/statistics/731843/human-insulin-revenue-worldwide/)

Method:

The gene of human insulin is isolated from human cells and then introduced into a plasmid and this plasmid is inserted into bacterial cell which produce insulin after production this insulin is purified. After purification product is identical to the human insulin

Some biotechnologist use yeast in Recombinant DNA technology for the production of human insulin. Yeast can perform more of the complicated processes occur in human cells which makes it more useful microorganism for the production of human substances.

Human Growth Hormone:

Patients whose pituitary glands generate or produce less amount of support normal growth and development. Recombinant HGH eliminated this problem and is now used .it also misused as a performance -enhancing drug by athletes and others.

Before the availability of Recombinant HGH, HGH for therapeutic use was obtained from pituitary glands of cadavers which is unsafe and cause Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s disease.

Diminished secretion of growth hormone is responsible in part for the decrease of lean body mass, the expansion of adipose-tissue mass, and the thinning of the skin that occur in old age. (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199007053230101)

Blood Clotting Factor VIII:

A Bleeding disorder hemophilia is caused by a blood clotting protein .patient is unable to produce factor VIII in quantities sufficient to support normal blood coagulation .before the use of this VIII factor this protein was obtained by the large quantities of human blood from more than one donors .which also have a big risk of transmission of blood borne infectious diseases like HIV and Hepatitis B .(Bloodborne diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, which exist in blood and other body fluids.)

Hepatitis B vaccine:

Recombinant hepatitis B vaccine is used to control the infection of hepatitis B which have a form of the hepatitis B virus surface antigen that is produced in yeast cells. The development or production of this virus vaccine is very important and necessary because is B Virus is different from other common viruses such as polio virus

Diagnosis of infection with HIV:

Three main methods are used for the detection or diagnosing of HIV infection and all are developed with the help of recombinant DNA technology.

The DNA test looks for the presence of HIV genetic material using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction

The antibodies test uses a recombinant HIV protein to test for the presence of antibodies that our body produce in the response of HIV infection.

Interferon:

Interferon are group of proteins that interfere with viral multiplication or replication by multiplication or replication .Alpha component of which have role in curing lymphoma and Myelogenous leukemia.

Monoclonal Antibodies:

Antibodies are specific proteins produced by the immune system of body in the reaction or respond to attack of pathogen .Monoclonal antibodies produce from single clone of antigen that’s way are mono specific in nature produced with the help of hybridoma technology(Hybridoma technology allows the production of MAbs that are able to differentiate species of fungi and to discriminate between the different components of fungal biomass.)

Which is used for the diagnosis of disease, pregnancy and treatment of cancer.

DNA Fingerprinting:

Every person in this world have different fingers patterns from each other there is possibility to alter these patterns but specific principle is unknown .Highly polymorphic genes help to detect finger prints which are useful for the child parentage establishment, for deduction of racial group and for criminal identification.