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Petersen GEL, Buntjer JB, Hely FS, Byrne TJ, Doeschl-Wilson A. Modeling suggests gene editing combined with vaccination could eliminate a persistent disease in livestock. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2107224119. [PMID: 35217603 PMCID: PMC8892294 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107224119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent breakthroughs in gene-editing technologies that can render individual animals fully resistant to infections may offer unprecedented opportunities for controlling future epidemics in farm animals. Yet, their potential for reducing disease spread is poorly understood as the necessary theoretical framework for estimating epidemiological effects arising from gene-editing applications is currently lacking. Here, we develop semistochastic modeling approaches to investigate how the adoption of gene editing may affect infectious disease prevalence in farmed animal populations and the prospects and time scale for disease elimination. We apply our models to the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), one of the most persistent global livestock diseases to date. Whereas extensive control efforts have shown limited success, recent production of gene-edited pigs that are fully resistant to the PRRS virus have raised expectations for eliminating this deadly disease. Our models predict that disease elimination on a national scale would be difficult to achieve if gene editing was used as the only disease control. However, from a purely epidemiological perspective, disease elimination may be achievable within 3 to 6 y, if gene editing were complemented with widespread and sufficiently effective vaccination. Besides strategic distribution of genetically resistant animals, several other key determinants underpinning the epidemiological impact of gene editing were identified.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jaap B Buntjer
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, Scotland
| | | | - Timothy John Byrne
- AbacusBio International, Roslin Innovation Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, Scotland
- The Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, Scotland
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Naab FZ, Coles D, Goddard E, Frewer LJ. Public Perceptions Regarding Genomic Technologies Applied to Breeding Farm Animals: A Qualitative Study. BIOTECH 2021; 10:biotech10040028. [PMID: 35822802 PMCID: PMC9245485 DOI: 10.3390/biotech10040028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The societal acceptability of different applications of genomic technologies to animal production systems will determine whether their innovation trajectories will reach the commercialisation stage. Importantly, technological implementation and commercialisation trajectories, regulation, and policy development need to take account of public priorities and attitudes. More effective co-production practices will ensure the application of genomic technologies to animals aligns with public priorities and are acceptable to society. Consumer rejection of, and limited demand for, animal products developed using novel genomic technologies will determine whether they are integration into the food system. However, little is known about whether genomic technologies that accelerate breeding but do not introduce cross-species genetic changes are more acceptable to consumers than those that do. Five focus groups, held in the north east of England, were used to explore the perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the use of genomic technologies in breeding farm animals for the human food supply chain. Overall, study participants were more positive towards genomic technologies applied to promote animal welfare (e.g., improved disease resistance), environmental sustainability, and human health. Animal “disenhancement” was viewed negatively and increased food production alone was not perceived as a potential benefit. In comparison to gene editing, research participants were most negative about genetic modification and the application of gene drives, independent of the benefits delivered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Z. Naab
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; (F.Z.N.); (D.C.)
| | - David Coles
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; (F.Z.N.); (D.C.)
- Enhance International, The Bacchus, Elsdon, Newcastle upon Tyne NE19 1AA, UK
| | - Ellen Goddard
- Agricultural Marketing and Business, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, 515 General Services Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada;
| | - Lynn J. Frewer
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; (F.Z.N.); (D.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-(0)7553152743
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Ebrahimi M, Mara L, Chessa B, Chessa F, Parham A, Dattena M. Optimizing injection time of GFP plasmid into sheep zygote. Reprod Domest Anim 2021; 56:467-475. [PMID: 33368650 DOI: 10.1111/rda.13885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Microinjection of exogenous DNA into the cytoplasm of matured oocytes or zygotes is a promising technique to generate transgenic animals. However, the data about the microinjection time and procedure in sheep are limited and have not treated in detail. To obtain more in-depth information, the Sarda sheep oocytes from abattoir-derived ovaries were subjected to IVM and IVF. Then, the GFP plasmid as a reporter gene was injected into the cytoplasm of MII oocytes (n: 95) and zygotes at different post-insemination intervals (6-8 hpi, n: 120; 8-10 hpi, n: 122; 10-12 hpi, n: 110 and 12-14 hpi, n: 96). There were no significant differences in the cleavage rates between the groups. However, blastocyst rate of injected zygotes at all-time intervals was significantly lower than injected MII oocytes and control group (p < 0.05). Interestingly, the proportion of GFP-positive embryos was higher at 8-10 hpi compared with other injected groups (4 % versus 0 %, p < 0.01). Among these, the proportion of mosaic embryos was high and two of those embryos developed to the blastocyst stage. In conclusion, we settled on the cytoplasmic microinjection of GFP plasmid at 8-10 hpi as an optimized time point for the production of transgenic sheep and subsequent experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammadreza Ebrahimi
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Laura Mara
- Department of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Agency of Sardinia, Sassari, Italy
| | - Bernardo Chessa
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Chessa
- Department of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Agency of Sardinia, Sassari, Italy
| | - Abbas Parham
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.,Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Research Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Maria Dattena
- Department of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Agency of Sardinia, Sassari, Italy
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Islam MA, Rony SA, Rahman MB, Cinar MU, Villena J, Uddin MJ, Kitazawa H. Improvement of Disease Resistance in Livestock: Application of Immunogenomics and CRISPR/Cas9 Technology. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E2236. [PMID: 33260762 PMCID: PMC7761152 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Disease occurrence adversely affects livestock production and animal welfare, and have an impact on both human health and public perception of food-animals production. Combined efforts from farmers, animal scientists, and veterinarians have been continuing to explore the effective disease control approaches for the production of safe animal-originated food. Implementing the immunogenomics, along with genome editing technology, has been considering as the key approach for safe food-animal production through the improvement of the host genetic resistance. Next-generation sequencing, as a cutting-edge technique, enables the production of high throughput transcriptomic and genomic profiles resulted from host-pathogen interactions. Immunogenomics combine the transcriptomic and genomic data that links to host resistance to disease, and predict the potential candidate genes and their genomic locations. Genome editing, which involves insertion, deletion, or modification of one or more genes in the DNA sequence, is advancing rapidly and may be poised to become a commercial reality faster than it has thought. The clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) [CRISPR/Cas9] system has recently emerged as a powerful tool for genome editing in agricultural food production including livestock disease management. CRISPR/Cas9 mediated insertion of NRAMP1 gene for producing tuberculosis resistant cattle, and deletion of CD163 gene for producing porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) resistant pigs are two groundbreaking applications of genome editing in livestock. In this review, we have highlighted the technological advances of livestock immunogenomics and the principles and scopes of application of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted genome editing in animal breeding for disease resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Aminul Islam
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh;
- Food and Feed Immunology Group, Graduate School of Agricultural University Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8572, Japan;
- Livestock Immunology Unit, International Research and Education Centre for Food and Agricultural Immunology (CFAI), Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8572, Japan
| | - Sharmin Aqter Rony
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh;
| | - Mohammad Bozlur Rahman
- Department of Livestock Services, Krishi Khamar Sarak, Farmgate, Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh;
| | - Mehmet Ulas Cinar
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri, Turkey;
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology & Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Julio Villena
- Food and Feed Immunology Group, Graduate School of Agricultural University Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8572, Japan;
- Laboratory of Immunobiotechnology, Reference Centre for Lactobacilli, (CERELA), Tucuman 4000, Argentina
| | - Muhammad Jasim Uddin
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh;
- School of Veterinary Science, Gatton Campus, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Haruki Kitazawa
- Food and Feed Immunology Group, Graduate School of Agricultural University Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8572, Japan;
- Livestock Immunology Unit, International Research and Education Centre for Food and Agricultural Immunology (CFAI), Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8572, Japan
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Knap PW, Doeschl-Wilson A. Why breed disease-resilient livestock, and how? Genet Sel Evol 2020; 52:60. [PMID: 33054713 PMCID: PMC7557066 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-020-00580-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fighting and controlling epidemic and endemic diseases represents a considerable cost to livestock production. Much research is dedicated to breeding disease resilient livestock, but this is not yet a common objective in practical breeding programs. In this paper, we investigate how future breeding programs may benefit from recent research on disease resilience. MAIN BODY We define disease resilience in terms of its component traits resistance (R: the ability of a host animal to limit within-host pathogen load (PL)) and tolerance (T: the ability of an infected host to limit the damage caused by a given PL), and model the host's production performance as a reaction norm on PL, depending on R and T. Based on this, we derive equations for the economic values of resilience and its component traits. A case study on porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome (PRRS) in pigs illustrates that the economic value of increasing production in infectious conditions through selection for R and T can be more than three times higher than by selection for production in disease-free conditions. Although this reaction norm model of resilience is helpful for quantifying its relationship to its component traits, its parameters are difficult and expensive to quantify. We consider the consequences of ignoring R and T in breeding programs that measure resilience as production in infectious conditions with unknown PL-particularly, the risk that the genetic correlation between R and T is unfavourable (antagonistic) and that a trade-off between them neutralizes the resilience improvement. We describe four approaches to avoid such antagonisms: (1) by producing sufficient PL records to estimate this correlation and check for antagonisms-if found, continue routine PL recording, and if not found, shift to cheaper proxies for PL; (2) by selection on quantitative trait loci (QTL) known to influence both R and T in favourable ways; (3) by rapidly modifying towards near-complete resistance or tolerance, (4) by re-defining resilience as the animal's capacity to resist (or recover from) the perturbation caused by an infection, measured as temporal deviations of production traits in within-host longitudinal data series. CONCLUSIONS All four alternatives offer promising options for genetic improvement of disease resilience, and most rely on technological and methodological developments and innovation in automated data generation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Doeschl-Wilson
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Estate, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG Scotland, UK
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Abstract
Genome editing, particularly using of site-directed nucleases such as the CRISPR system, has spread rapidly through the biological sciences. Genome editing in crops could significantly speed up the progress of breeding programs. It could drive the development of traits in new crops and allow improvements in yield and pest resistance, adaptation to climate change, and industrial and pharmaceutical applications. However biofortification is a key challenge to satisfy nutritional needs in vitamins for developing countries and new consumer's needs for developed countries. China and the USA lead scientific research in crop editing. Nigeria, being headquarters to numerous research consortia, is the most involved country in Africa. Genome editing in animals including pig, cattle, sheep, and carp, has not merely accelerated research but has made possible research that was previously unfeasible. It has been used to increase disease resistance, to make livestock better adapted to farming or environmental conditions, to increase fertility and growth, and to improve animal welfare. The USA, the UK and China are the most involved countries in animal genome editing. Global food production needs to increase as much as 70 per cent to support the growing population. Genome editing could contribute improving the efficiency of food distribution and reducing waste. Depending on the regulatory conditions, genome editing could open up the field to smaller companies and public labs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Ricroch
- Faculté Jean-Monnet, Université Paris-Sud, 54, Boulevard Desgranges, 92330, Sceaux, France. .,AgroParisTech, 16, Rue Claude-Bernard, 75231, Paris Cedex 05, France.
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