Generation of cloned

transgenic pigs rich in omega-

3 fatty acids
INTRODUCTION
n−3 fatty acids
Nutritionally (popularly
important n−3referred to as ω−3
fatty acids fatty acids
include
or omega-3 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated fatty
a.α-Linolenic
acid that have Acid (ALA)a final carbon–carbon double
in common
bond in the n-3 position; that is, the third bond from the
b.Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)
methyl end of the fatty acid
c.Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)

Docosahexaenoic
Eicosapentaenoic
α-Linolenic Acid Acid
Acid
(ALA)(DHA)
(EPA)
Health benefits
 Cancer prevention
 Cardiovascular disease prevention
 Diabetes
 Immune function
 Brain health
 Anti-Inflammatory
 PROBLEM
Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial to human
health But the source is increasingly
limited, due to declining fish stocks and
contamination from mercury and other
harmful chemicals
Material & Method
pCAGGS-hfat-1 driven by the cytomegalovirus enhancer and
 pCAGGS-hfat-1 chicken b-actin promoter
 A pgk-neo expression cassette
A pgk-neo
pST103 expression cassette as a selection marker was inserted
A into
totalpCAGGS-hfat-1
of 1,633 reconstructed
to generate
embryos
pST103,
werewhich
transferred
was transfected
into 14 gilts
 pCFF4-3 into early-passage
that exhibited
male
a natural
primary,
estrus
pCFF4-35
 G418
 Gas chromatographic
the transfected cells were selected with 250 mg/ml G418
 PCR analysis

Gas chromatographic analysis

RESULT
 Twelve early pregnancies were established,
and five of them went to term
 Twelve (ten alive and two dead) male piglets
were born by either caesarean section or
natural delivery
 PCR analysis of DNA samples from the tails of
ten live piglets showed : 6 positiif for the hfat-1
transgene (no. 1, 3–5, 8 and 9) & 4 negatif
((nos. 2, 7, 10 and 11)
 Piglets nos. 2, 4 and 5 were killed at 3 weeks
of age
DISCUSS
 The demand for n-3 fatty acids has
increased considerably in recent years as
evidence of their beneficial effects has
grown.
 So far, the only way to enrich the tissues of
mammals with n-3 fatty acids has been
dietary provision of n-3 fatty acids.
 Thus, the food industry must feed animals
with flaxseed, fish meal or other marine
products
Conclusion
Generation of fat-1 transgenic livestock that
produce n-3 fatty acids may be an economical
and sustainable strategy to address this need.
In addition, fat-1 transgenic pigs provide a
large animal model in which to study the role
of n-3 fatty acids in the prevention and
treatment of various clinical conditions, such
as coronary heart disease and immune-
mediated disorders.