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Transgenes are genetic material from one organism that appears in the DNA of another. They may not express themselves or express themselves differently. They can occur naturally or be inserted through genetic engineering. Transgenes can be passed on to future generations and used for various purposes, such as studying gene expression. Concerns exist about unintended consequences and potential harm to wild populations.
A transgene is a section of genetic material from one organism that appears in the DNA of another organism. Depending on a number of factors, the transgene may not express itself, may express itself in a different way than observed in the original organism, or may express itself in the new organism in exactly the same way as it did in the original. A gene is identified as a transgene when it has been sequenced in one species and subsequently identified in another.
Some transgenes occur naturally. For example, bacteria are very adept at exchanging genetic material, even between bacterial species, because this allows them to quickly adapt to environmental changes. This is one reason why drug resistance is a concern, because bacteria can not only transmit drug resistance to members of their own species, but also potentially to members of other species.
In other cases, transgenes are inserted through genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is used to do everything from creating transgenic mice for laboratory research to developing new drought-tolerant crops. In this case, a gene of interest is identified and inserted into the target organism’s genome in the hope that it will express itself as desired. For example, headlines were made in the early 21st century when a man claimed he made a rabbit that glowed in the dark by inserting jellyfish genes into a rabbit’s genome.
A transgene can be passed on to future generations, which is sometimes a cause for concern for researchers. Some people fear that transgenic organisms produced in laboratories could weaken wild populations of the same animals, or that the insertion of transgenes could have unintended consequences that will only become apparent when it is too late. In response to this concern, sterility is sometimes created during the genetic engineering process, such as with transgenic crops that are not supposed to be able to reproduce on their own.
Transgenes can be used and studied in several ways. A transgene can be used, for example, for a purpose such as introducing human DNA into laboratory animals to study human pathology without experimenting on humans. Exploration of gene expression or lack thereof can also be accomplished with the use of transgenes and transgenic organisms. People may be curious about, for example, genes that appear dormant in some animal species, wondering whether these genes are relics of ancestors or whether they can be coaxed into expressing.
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