Growth Differentiation Factor-8 Nucleic Acid and Polypeptide from Aquatic Species, and Transgenic Aquatic Species
AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
InventorsSe-Jin Lee, Alexandra C. McPherron
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Abstract
A transgenic non-human aquatic organisms, such as piscine, crustacean, mollusks, and the like, having a transgene which results in disrupting the production of and/or activity of growth differentiation factor-8 (GDF-8) chromosomally integrated into the germ cells of the aquatic organism is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for making such organisms and nucleic acid sequences encoding GDF-8 polypeptides from such aquatic organisms.
Claims14
A transgenic non-human aquatic organism whose genome comprises a disruption of an endogenous growth differentiation factor-8 (GDF-8) gene, wherein said disruption comprises an insertion of a transgene, and wherein said disruption results in said animal exhibiting increased muscle mass as compared to wild-type animal.
A method of producing food products from an aquatic organism having increased muscle mass, said method comprising:
- a) introducing a transgene that disrupts or interferes with expression of growth differentiation factor-8 (GDF-8) into a fertilized embryo, into a fertilized egg, or into germ cells of a pronuclear embryo of the aquatic organism
- b) implanting an embryo of step a) into an oviduct of an appropriate pseudopregnant female, thereby allowing the embryo to mature to full term progeny;
- c) testing the progeny for presence of the transgene to identify transgene-positive progeny having increased muscle mass;
- d) cross-breeding transgene-positive progeny to obtain further transgene-positive progeny having increased muscle mass;
- and
- e) processing the progeny having increased muscle mass to obtain food products.
A method for producing a transgenic aquatic organism exhibiting an increase in muscle mass, said method comprising:
- a) introducing a transgene comprising a selectable marker sequence into a aquatic organism embryonic stem cell;
- b) introducing said embryonic stem cell into an aquatic organism embryo;
- c) transplanting said embryo into an appropriate pseudopregnant aquatic organism;
- d) allowing said embryo to develop to term;
- and
- e) identifying a transgenic aquatic organism whose genome comprises a disruption of the endogenous GDF-8 gene, wherein said disruption results in said aquatic organism exhibiting increased muscle mass as compared to a wild-type aquatic organism.
A method of producing aquatic organism food products having reduced cholesterol levels, said method comprising:
- a) introducing a transgene disrupting or interfering with expression of growth differentiation factor-8 (GDF-8) into an embryo of an aquatic organism;
- b) culturing the embryo under conditions whereby progeny are hatched;
- c) testing the progeny for presence of the transgene to identify transgene-positive progeny having reduced cholesterol levels;
- d) cross-breeding transgene-positive progeny having reduced cholesterol levels;
- and
- e) processing the progeny to obtain aquatic organism food products having reduced cholesterol levels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.