Alteration of milk composition using molecular genetics

Modification of Animal Products for Fat and Other Characteristics

This chapter includes information about modification of animal products using biotechnology and the importance of different modifications on the natural composition. The species considered for modified products include beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, and a wide variety of fishes. Moreover, the discussion includes the importance of animal food, nongenetically engineered animal modified food products, genetically engineered animal modified food items primarily for meat, milk, or egg and genetically engineered animal food along the transgenic approach for animal welfare. Modern biotechnology can improve productivity, consistency, and quality of alter animal food, fiber, and medical products. The transgenic technology is potentially valuable to alter characters of economic importance in a rapid and precise way. The food safety issue related to genetic engineering is also included in this chapter. The harm of such modified food and transgenic strategy should also be understood by the reader along with its advantages. In this context, transgenic approaches in animal biotechnology are under discussion that ranges from animal food production to their adverse effects.

Transgenic farm animals - A critical analysis

The notion of directly introducing new genes or otherwise manipulating the genotype of an animal is conceptually straightforward and appealing from the standpoints of both speed and precision with which phenotypic changes can be made. Thus, it is little wonder that the imagination of many animal scientists has been captivated by the success others have achieved in introducing foreign genes into mice. Transgenic mice not only exhibit unique phenotypes, but they also pass those traits on to their progeny. However, before transgenic farm animals become a common component of the livestock industry, a number of formidable obstacles must be overcome. In this review we attempt to identify the critical issues that should be considered by both those currently working in the field and those scientists considering the feasibility of initiating a transgenic livestock project. The inefficiency of producing transgenic animals has been well documented. This does not constrain investigators using laboratory animal models, but it has a major impact on applying transgenic technology to farm animals. The molecular mechanisms of transgene integration have not been elucidated, and as a consequence it is difficult to design strategies to improve the efficiency of the process. In addition to the problems associated with integration of new genes, there are inefficiencies associated with collecting and culturing fertilized eggs as well as embryo transfer in farm animals. Transgenic farm animal studies are major logistical undertakings. Even in the face of these practical hindrances, some may be pressured by administrators to embrace this new technology. As powerful as the transgenic animal model system is, currently there are limits to the kinds of agricultural questions that can be addressed. Some uses are so appealing, however, that several commercial organizations have explored this technology. Within the next decade or two, it is likely that many of the technical hurdles will be overcome. Combining new techniques with a better understanding of the genetic control of physiological systems will make it possible to improve the characteristics of farm animals in highly imaginative ways.

Agricultural applications for transgenic livestock

Transgenic animals are produced by introducing 'foreign' DNA into the genetic material of pre-implantation embryos. This DNA is present in all tissues of the resulting individual. This technique is of great importance to many aspects of biomedical science, including gene regulation, the immune system, cancer research, developmental biology, biomedicine, manufacturing and agriculture. The production of transgenic animals is one of several new and developing technologies that will have a profound impact on the genetic improvement of livestock. The rate at which these technologies are incorporated into production schemes will determine the speed at which we will be able to achieve our goal of more efficiently producing livestock that meets consumer and market demand.

Designer milk

Dairy biotechnology is fast gaining ground in the area of altering milk composition for processing and/or animal and human health by employing nutritional and genetic approaches. Modification of the primary structure of casein, alteration in the lipid profile, increased protein recovery, milk containing nutraceuticals, and replacement for infant formula offer several advantages in the area of processing. Less fat in milk, altered fatty acid profiles to include more healthy fatty acids such as CLA and ω‐fats, improved amino acid profiles, more protein, less lactose, and absence of β‐lactoglobulin (β‐LG) are some opportunities of “designing” milk for human health benefits. Transgenic technology has also produced farm animals that secrete in their milk, human lactoferrin, lysozyme, and lipase so as to simulate human milk in terms of quality and quantity of these elements that are protective to infants. Cow milk allergenicity in children could be reduced by eliminating the β‐LG gene from bovines. Animals that produce milk containing therapeutic agents such as insulin, plasma proteins, drugs, and vaccines for human health have been genetically engineered. In order to cater to animal health, transgenic animals that express in their mammary glands, various components that work against mastitis have been generated. The ultimate acceptability of the “designer” products will depend on ethical issues such as animal welfare and safety, besides better health benefits and increased profitability of products manufactured by the novel techniques.

Genetically engineered livestock: closer than we think?

The potential of biotechnology to benefit production agriculture has long been speculated. Whereas many transgenic crops have been produced and commercialized, there has yet to be any implementation of genetically engineered livestock. A recent publication by Wall et al. represents one of the first reports to bring the potential of genetic engineering closer to realization by improving disease resistance in dairy cattle: a practical advantage to both the producer and animal.

Transgenic animals in biomedicine and agriculture: outlook for the future

Transgenic animals are produced by introduction of 'foreign' deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) into preimplantation embryos. The foreign DNA is inserted into the genetic material and may be expressed in tissues of the resulting individual. This technique is of great importance to many aspects of biomedical science including gene regulation, the immune system, cancer research, developmental biology, biomedicine, manufacturing and agriculture. The production of transgenic animals is one of a number of new and developing technologies that will have a profound impact on the genetic improvement of livestock. The rate at which these technologies are incorporated into production schemes will determine the speed at which we will be able to achieve our goal of more efficiently producing livestock, which meets consumer and market demand.

Genetic Manipulation of Mammary Gland Development and Lactation

The mammalian genome is believed to contain some 30,000 to 40,000 different genes. Of these an estimated 42% have no known function. Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMM) have been a powerful tool available for determining gene function in vivo. In the mammary gland, a variety of genetic engineering approaches have been applied successfully to understanding the importance of specific gene products to mammary gland development and lactation. Our own laboratory has applied genetically engineered mice to facilitate understanding of the regulation of mammary gland development and lactation by insulin-like growth factors (IGF) and by the transcription factor, upstream stimulatory factor (USF-2). Our studies on transgenic mice that overexpress IGF-I have demonstrated the importance of IGF-dependent signaling pathways to maintenance of mammary epithelial cells during the declining phase of lactation. Our analysis of early developmental processes in mammary tissue from mice that carry a targeted mutation in the IGF-I receptor gene suggests that IGF-dependent stimulation of cell cycle progression is more important to early mammary gland development than potential antiapoptotic effects. Lastly, our studies on mice that carry a targeted mutation of the Usf2 gene have demonstrated that this gene is necessary for normal lactation and have highlighted the importance of this gene to the maintenance of protein synthesis. These studies, as well as studies of others, have highlighted both the strengths and limitations inherent in the use of GEMM. Limitations serve as the driving force behind development of new experimental strategies and genetic engineering schemes that will allow for a full understanding of gene function within the mammary gland.

Production of transgenic livestock: Promise fulfilled1

The introduction of specific genes into the genome of farm animals and its stable incorporation into the germ line has been a major technological advance in agriculture. Transgenic technology provides a method to rapidly introduce "new" genes into cattle, swine, sheep, and goats without crossbreeding. It is a more extreme methodology, but in essence, not really different from crossbreeding or genetic selection in its result. Methods to produce transgenic animals have been available for more than 20 yr, yet recently lines of transgenic livestock have been developed that have the potential to improve animal agriculture and benefit producers and/or consumers. There are a number of methods that can be used to produce transgenic animals. However, the primary method to date has been the microinjection of genes into the pronuclei of zygotes. This method is one of an array of rapidly developing transgenic methodologies. Another method that has enjoyed recent success is that of nuclear transfer or "cloning." The use of this technique to produce transgenic livestock will profoundly affect the use of transgenic technology in livestock production. Cell-based, nuclear transfer or cloning strategies have several distinct advantages for use in the production of transgenic livestock that cannot be attained using pronuclear injection of DNA. Practical applications of transgenesis in livestock production include enhanced prolificacy and reproductive performance, increased feed utilization and growth rate, improved carcass composition, improved milk production and/or composition, and increased disease resistance. One practical application of transgenics in swine production is to improve milk production and/or composition. To address the problem of low milk production, transgenic swine over-expressing the milk protein bovine alpha-lactalbumin were developed and characterized. The outcomes assessed were milk composition, milk yield, and piglet growth. Our results indicate that transgenic overexpression of milk proteins may provide a means to improve swine lactation performance.

Transgenic technology and applications in swine

The introduction of foreign DNA into the genome of livestock and its stable integration into the germ line has been a major technical advance in agriculture. Production of transgenic livestock provides a method to rapidly introduce "new" genes into cattle, swine, sheep and goats without crossbreeding. It is a more extreme methodology, but in essence, not really different from crossbreeding or genetic selection in its result. Several recent developments will profoundly impact the use of transgenic technology in livestock production. These developments are: 1) the ability to isolate and maintain in vitro embryonic stem (ES) cells from preimplantation embryos, embryonic germ (EG) and somatic cells from fetuses; and somatic cells from adults, and 2) the ability to use these embryonic and somatic cells as nuclei donors in nuclear transfer or "cloning" strategies. Cell based (ES, EG, and somatic cells) strategies have several distinct advantages for use in the production of transgenic livestock that cannot be attained using pronuclear injection of DNA. There are many potential applications of transgenic methodology to develop new and improved strains of livestock. Practical applications of transgenesis in livestock production include enhanced prolificacy and reproductive performance, increased feed utilization and growth rate, improved carcass composition, improved milk production and/or composition and increased disease resistance. Development of transgenic farm animals will allow more flexibility in direct genetic manipulation of livestock.

Transgenic farm animals: applications in agriculture and biomedicine

During the last decade, tremendous progress has been made in the area of transgenic farm animals. While there are many important transgenic farm animal applications in agriculture, funding has been very limited and progress has been rather slow in this area. Encouragingly, the potential applications of transgenic farm animals as bioreactors for producing human therapeutic proteins and as organ donors for transplantations in humans have attracted vast funding from the private sectors. Several transgenic animal products are already in various phases of clinical trials. Estimates are, that in the near future, the worlds demands on human pharmaceutical proteins may largely be met by transgenic farm animals. While there are still major challenges ahead in the area of xenotransplantation using transgenic animal organs, transgenic tissues or cells have demonstrated promising results as a potential tool for gene therapy. Recent development on cloning, embryonic stem cells and alternative transgenic methods may further expand the transgenic applications in both agriculture and biomedicine.

Genetic modification of animals in the next century

Since the initial demonstration in 1982 of profound phenotypic effects stemming from the expression of a single transgene, genetic engineering has revolutionized fundamental biological and biomedical research. The application of transgenic technology to farm animals has held the promise of being able to improve animal agriculture significantly and has resulted in a new industry, i.e., the successful expression of foreign proteins in the mammary gland for the pharmaceutical industry. Work over the last few years in model species (e.g., the mouse) and new technical developments such as cloning have now set the stage for the initial application of transgenic technology for the improvement of farm animals. Major limitations that remain are the lack understanding of which genes we should transfer in order to alter quantitative production traits usefully and the low efficiency of producting transgenic founders. Furthermore, more research is needed concerning the consequences and potential problems arising from the integration of transgenes into populations with varying genetic backgrounds. Recent advances suggest that within the first decade of the 21 st century the first transgenic animals will become available to the livestock industry, with acceptance depending upon their cost versus their potential economic benefit to the producers.

Transgenic dairy cattle: genetic engineering on a large scale

Amid the explosion of fundamental knowledge generated from transgenic animal models, a small group of scientists has been producing transgenic livestock with goals of improving animal production efficiency and generating new products. The ability to modify mammary-specific genes provides an opportunity to pursue several distinctly different avenues of research. The objective of the emerging gene "pharming" industry is to produce pharmaceuticals for treating human diseases. It is argued that mammary glands are an ideal site for producing complex bioactive proteins that can be cost effectively harvested and purified. Consequently, during the past decade, approximately a dozen companies have been created to capture the US market for pharmaceuticals produced from transgenic bioreactors estimated at $3 billion annually. Several products produced in this way are now in human clinical trials. Another research direction, which has been widely discussed but has received less attention in the laboratory, is genetic engineering of the bovine mammary gland to alter the composition of milk destined for human consumption. Proposals include increasing or altering endogenous proteins, decreasing fat, and altering milk composition to resemble that of human milk. Initial studies using transgenic mice to investigate the feasibility of enhancing manufacturing properties of milk have been encouraging. The potential profitability of gene "pharming" seems clear, as do the benefits of transgenic cows producing milk that has been optimized for food products. To take full advantage of enhanced milk, it may be desirable to restructure the method by which dairy producers are compensated. However, the cost of producing functional transgenic cattle will remain a severe limitation to realizing the potential of transgenic cattle until inefficiencies of transgenic technology are overcome. These inefficiencies include low rates of gene integration, poor embryo survival, and unpredictable transgene behavior.

Toward altering milk composition by genetic manipulation: current status and challenges

The implementation of large-scale genome mapping and sequencing has improved the understanding of animal genetics. A large number of gene sequences are now available to serve as regulatory elements or genes of interest. Although the central thrust of this work is focused on understanding disease states, the manipulation of normal metabolic processes is feasible. To date, the genetic manipulation of livestock has been limited to the permanent addition of genes of clinical interest. This study explores the utility of genetically engineered cattle as a means of altering milk composition to improve the functional properties of milk, increasing marketability. Improvements would include increasing the concentration of valuable components in milk (e.g., casein), removing undesirable components (e.g., lactose), or altering composition to resemble that of human milk as a means of improving human neonatal nutrition. The protracted time lines of genetically modifying dairy cattle has prompted the development of animal models. A model for dwarf goats is discussed in terms of circumventing the lengthy time lines involved in generating transgenic cattle and allowing for an accelerated expansion of research in molecular genetics of dairy animals. Thus, the genetic manipulation of dairy cattle is feasible and could have significant impacts on milk quality, attributes of novel dairy products, and human health.

Human growth hormone (hGH) secretion in milk of goats after direct transfer of the hGH gene into the mammary gland by using replication-defective retrovirus vectors

Mammary-specific promoters have been used in transgenic animals to limit transgene expression to the mammary gland. Gene therapy techniques to target just one organ for introduction of a foreign gene have also been demonstrated. We have directly infused replication-defective retroviruses encoding hGH into the mammary gland of goats via the teat canal during a period of hormone-induced mammogenesis. This resulted in the secretion of hGH into the milk when lactation commenced on day 14 of the regime. Levels of hGH in the milk were highest on the first day of lactation, averaging approximately 60 ng/ml, and declined to a plateau of 12 ng/ml from day 9 to day 15 of lactation. Thus we report targeting of replication-defective retroviruses to the mammary secretory epithelial cells to produce foreign proteins in the milk of ruminants.

Transgenic bioreactors

1. Although many human therapeutic proteins are currently produced in microbial fermentors using recombinant DNA techniques, it is obvious that microbial processing is not suitable for a large number of bioactive proteins owing to the inability of bacteria to carry out postsynthetic modification reactions required for full biological activity. 2. This disadvantage does not apply to animal cell bioreactors that can generate biologically fully active entities, yet the use of large-scale animal cell cultures for production purposes is prohibitively expensive. 3. With the advent of transgenic technology, the production of valuable human pharmaceuticals in large farm animals (pig, sheep, goat and dairy cattle) has become more and more attractive as a high-quantity, low-cost alternative. By employing targeted gene transfer, e.g. using mammary gland-specific regulatory sequences fused with the desired production genes, it is possible to govern the expression to occur exclusively in the mammary gland and hence the gene product is being ultimately secreted in the milk. 4. While reviewing the remarkable progress in this field that has even led to commercial exploitations, we will outline in somewhat greater detail our strategy for the use of dairy cattle as a bioreactor for valuable proteins of pharmaceutical interest.

Nutrient requirements and feed costs associated with genetic improvement in production of milk components

Dietary requirements for NEL and absorbed true protein were summarized for marginal production of milk components because of genetic improvement through selection. Shelled corn and soybean meal were used to meet marginal nutrient requirements and were assigned variable concentrations of absorbed true protein, depending on rumen-available energy and protein. Mean ratios among national averages for shelled corn to milk prices and soybean meal to milk prices (DM: standardized milk, dollars per kilogram) over a recent 25-yr period were .52 and 1.20, respectively. Stability of these relationships over time permits estimation of feed costs from milk price as prices inflate. Feed costs per kilogram of component, expressed as kilograms of standardized milk with equivalent value, were 1.00 for lactose, 1.89 for fat, and 3.49 for protein. Costs of milk protein were higher if production of absorbed true protein was limited by rumen-available energy, suggesting that selection for fat or lactose, in addition to protein, may be beneficial. High feed costs for milk protein indicate a need for adequate compensation to producers for milk protein and consideration of feed costs during selection. A net value index is proposed that considers feed costs associated with marginal production of individual milk components.

Expression of human lysozyme mRNA in the mammary gland of transgenic mice

Owing to its inherent antimicrobial effect and positive charge, the expression of human lysozyme in bovine milk could be beneficial by altering the overall microbial level and the functional and physical properties of the milk. We have used transgenic mice as model systems to evaluate the expression of human lysozyme containing fusion gene constructs in the mammary gland. Expression of human lysozyme was targeted to the mammary gland by using the 5' promoter elements of either the bovine beta (line B mice) or alpha s1 (line H mice) casein genes coupled to the cDNA for human lysozyme. Expression of human lysozyme mRNA was not found in mammary tissue from any of line B mice. Tissues were analysed from six lines of H mice and two, H6 and H5, were found to express human lysozyme mRNA in the mammary gland at 42% and 116%, respectively, of the levels of the endogenous mouse whey acidic protein gene. At peak lactation, female mice homozygous for the H5 and H6 transgene have approximately twice the amount of mRNA encoding human lysozyme as hemizygous animals. Expression levels of human lysozyme mRNA in the mammary gland at time points representing late pregnancy, early, peak and late lactation corresponded to the profile of casein gene expression. Human lysozyme mRNA expression was not observed in transgenic males, virgin females or in the kidney, liver, spleen or brain of lactating females. A very low level of expression of human lysozyme mRNA was observed in the salivary gland of line H5.

Transgenic animals as bioproducers of therapeutic proteins

Many human therapeutic proteins are currently produced with the aid of recombinant DNA technology in microbial bioreactors and a few also in large-scale animal cell cultures. Although extremely cost-efficient, the microbial production system has many inherent limitations. Micro-organisms, such as bacteria, can read the universal genetic code and hence produce human proteins with correct amino acid sequence, but cannot carry out post-translational modifications, such as glycosylation, or fold the newly synthesized protein properly to ultimately generate a biologically active entity. Moreover, even though the production of the proteins as such is inexpensive, the downstream processing of the final product may be extremely difficult and costly. Many of these disadvantages, especially the lack of post-translational modifications, can be overcome by employing large-scale animal cell cultures for the production of proteins of pharmaceutical interest. However, due to the long generation time and the requirement for rich culture media, the use of animal cell bioreactors is unacceptably expensive. With the advent of transgenic technology, the production of human pharmaceuticals in large transgenic animals has become more and more attractive. The use of targeted gene transfer, the expression of the transgene of interest can be directed to occur in the mammary gland of large farm animals, such as pigs, sheep, goats or dairy cattle, and hence the transgene product is ultimately being secreted into the milk. Although not yet in commercial use, the last few years have witnessed a remarkable progress in this area and proved the feasibility of the use of 'molecular farming' in high-quantity, low-cost production of valuable therapeutic or industrial proteins. While reviewing the progress of the field over the past few years, we discuss in somewhat greater detail aspects connected with the use of dairy cattle as bioproducers of human therapeutic proteins.

Genomic analysis of the major bovine milk protein genes

The genomic arrangement of the major bovine milk protein genes has been determined using a combination of physical mapping techniques. The major milk proteins consist of the four caseins, alpha s1 (CASAS1), alpha s2 (CASAS2), beta (CASB), and kappa (CASK), as well as the two major whey proteins, alpha-lactalbumin (LALBA) and beta-lactoglobulin (LGB). A panel of bovine X hamster hybrid somatic cells analyzed for the presence or absence of bovine specific restriction fragments revealed the genes coding for the major milk proteins to reside on three chromosomes. The four caseins were assigned to syntenic group U15 and localized to bovine chromosome 6 at q31-33 by in situ hybridization. LALBA segregated with syntenic group U3, while LGB segregated with U16. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis confirmed genetic mapping results indicating tight linkage of the casein genes. The four genes reside on less than 200 kb of DNA in the order CASAS1-CASB-CASAS2-CASK. Multiple restriction fragment length polymorphisms were also found at the six loci in three breeds of cattle.

Altering milk composition through genetic selection

The genetic relationships among carrier, fat, protein, and lactose will allow genetic alteration in any direction desired, although some changes would be much easier than others. Genetic parameters may vary somewhat between different populations, thus affecting the rates of different directions of change. In general, however, selection for an alteration in the fat:protein ratio would proceed rapidly, principally through alteration of fat concentration. Genetic alteration of composition is likely only if economic incentives for such change exist. Economic values, and therefore selection pressure, should be applied to amounts of components rather than concentrations. Recent developments in the theory of deriving economic weights for animal breeding indicate that selection indexes need to be reassessed. Although optimum breeding goals will vary somewhat, in most circumstances fat and protein yields and concentrations and the fat:protein ratio are likely to increase due to genetic selection. Only in the unlikely situation that fat has a very small or negative economic weight are other changes indicated. Lactose concentrations are unlikely to change much in any situation. Genetic variation in the composition of fat and protein, while of biological interest, is unlikely to be of more than minor importance in genetic improvement.