Improving farm animals with genetically modified animals: The Role of Transgenic

Technology in the Food Industry.

APPLICATION
The farming business makes a large contribution to economic growth by producing basic
resources such as meat, fish, and milk, as well as ensuring global food security and
promoting a healthy lifestyle. However, the sector is facing more and more difficulties,
including climate change, dwindling land and resource availability, and the growing
demand for animal products. As a result, biotechnology is becoming a key tool in the
fight for increased productivity and yields from farm animals. This approach heavily
relies on transgenic technology, which provides a host of advantages like improved feed
efficiency, heat tolerance, pest resistance, and decreased environmental impact. But why
is it important to genetically modify farm animals?
Animal biotechnology has been used since the domestication of animals, focusing on
breeding, genetics, and nutrition to select, propagate, and manage desirable
characteristics in livestock. Transgenic technology is widely used in model organisms to
functionally characterize genes and to dissect complex networks of cooperating genes.
The use of these tools will have a great impact on improving the efficiency of livestock
production and animal agriculture in a timely and cost-effective manner.
For example, a transgenic hog called Enviro Pig is under development by university
researchers in Canada. This animal has an implanted phytase gene, enabling it to process
the phosphorus in its waste more efficiently and reducing environmental pollution.
Genetically engineering farm animals to reduce the risk of major infectious diseases, such
as mastitis and mad cow disease, could also prove beneficial to those who breed and raise
livestock.
Phytate, also known as “myo-inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakis dihydrogen phosphate,”
accounts for up to 80% of phosphorus in common cereal grains, oil seed meals, and by-
products [6, 7]. The high phosphorus concentrations in pigs’ manure are a result of their
inability to hydrolyze this phytate. In turn, the phytate-bound phosphorus becomes a
major environmental pollutant by leaching into nearby surface and groundwater,
eventually ending up in lakes, streams, or ponds where it causes algal blooms and
excessive weed growth.
The purpose of developing the EnviropigTM was to produce phytase in their salivary
glands, an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing phytate, which is not naturally occurring in
animals. The notifier claims that the production of phytase in the salivary glands results
in the following benefits:
•Reduction in the cost of producing pigs by removing the need to supplement the diet
with phosphate and/or phytase without affecting the growth of the pigs.
•Digestion of phytate eliminates the chelating capacity of this molecule, increasing the
bioavailability of minerals (e.g., phosphorus, calcium, magnesium) and other nutrients [8,
9, 10].
•Reduction of the phosphate load in the manure, thereby reducing the phosphate level in
runoff and its consequent pollution potential for the aquatic environment.
Some of the practical uses of transgenesis in animal production include greater
prolificacy and reproductive performance, higher feed consumption and growth rate,
improved carcass composition, improved milk production and/or compositions, and
increased disease resistance (Table 1).

Table 1
Animal Genes introduced or deleted Performance criteria (consumer
benefit)

Bovine β and κ casein Casein protein expression has increased

(improved protein content of milk)

Bovine Intestinal lactase Lactose in milk is being reduced (lactose

intolerant people)

Bovine Lysostaphin Resistance to mastitis (reduced use of

antibiotics)

Bovine β-Lactoglobulin Higher milk production of this protein, as well

as increased growth and illness resistance in
milk-fed calves (reduced antibiotic use and
improved health benefits)

Ovine Growth hormone Increased growth rates, improved feed

conversion efficiency, lower carcass fatness,
and higher lactation rates (leaner meat)
Ovine Myostatin In sheep, myostatin expression was reduced,
and muscle mass was raised (leaner meat)

Porcine Insulin-like growth factor 1 Increased growth rate and lower fat content in
the carcass (leaner meat)

Porcine α-Lactalbumin Piglets’ growth rate has increased, and their

health has improved
Transgenic technology advancements offer the chance to modify milk's composition or
manufacture whole new proteins in milk. It is possible to increase livestock growth or
survival by changing the composition of milk. To do this, transgenic animals must be
developed so that:
(1) Produce more milk.
(2) produce milk with a higher nutrient content.
(3) produce milk with a useful "nutraceutical" protein.

Weaning weights in Brazilian cattle of the Nelore or Guzerat breeds may be significantly
increased by increasing milk production to just 2-4 liters per day. Improvements in
weaning weights in meat-type breeds like the Texel sheep and Boer goat can be
compared in a similar way. By using transgenic technology in this way, offspring may
grow and survive better.

Small improvements in milk volume in Guzerat cows (left) using genetic material from
high-producing Holsteins (right) could have a significant impact on Brazilian beef
production.
REFERENCES

Wheeler, M. B. (2013). Transgenic Animals in Agriculture. Nature news.

https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/transgenic-animals-in-agriculture-
105646080/

Wolf E, Schernthaner W, Zakhartchenko V, et al. Transgenic technology in farm

animals--progress and perspectives. Experimental Physiology. 2000
https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/j.1469-445X.2000.02110.x.

Canada, E. and C. C. (2012, March 27). Government of Canada. Canada.ca.

https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/managing-pollution/
evaluating-new-substances/biotechnology-living-organisms/risk-assessment-decisions/
summary-15676.html

Tucker, J. (n.d.). “enhanced” food animals, nutritionally and otherwise.

https://biosecurity.fas.org/education/dualuse-agriculture/2.-agricultural-biotechnology/
enhanced-food-animals.html

Shakweer, W. M. E., Krivoruchko, A. Y., Dessouki, Sh. M., & Khattab, A. A. (2023). A
review of transgenic animal techniques and their applications - Journal of Genetic
Engineering and Biotechnology. Retrieved from
https://jgeb.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43141-023-00502-z