Page 1
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
1
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Discipline: Botany
Paper: Plant Biotechnology
National Coordinator: Prof. S.C. Bhatla
Lesson: Introduction to Recombinant DNA Technology
Lesson Developer: Ms. Manisha Sharma, UDSC
Department/College: Genetics
Page 2
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
1
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Discipline: Botany
Paper: Plant Biotechnology
National Coordinator: Prof. S.C. Bhatla
Lesson: Introduction to Recombinant DNA Technology
Lesson Developer: Ms. Manisha Sharma, UDSC
Department/College: Genetics
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
2
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Table of Contents
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
? What is recombinant DNA?
? But first, what is DNA?
? History – Early experiments in recombinant DNA technology
? Applications of recombinant DNA technology
? Pharmaceutical uses
? Vaccines
? Diagnostic testing
? Gene therapy
? Monoclonal antibodies
? DNA fingerprinting
? Food additives
? Agricultural uses
? Animal husbandry
? Summary
? Questions
? Glossary
? References
? Web links
Page 3
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
1
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Discipline: Botany
Paper: Plant Biotechnology
National Coordinator: Prof. S.C. Bhatla
Lesson: Introduction to Recombinant DNA Technology
Lesson Developer: Ms. Manisha Sharma, UDSC
Department/College: Genetics
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
2
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Table of Contents
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
? What is recombinant DNA?
? But first, what is DNA?
? History – Early experiments in recombinant DNA technology
? Applications of recombinant DNA technology
? Pharmaceutical uses
? Vaccines
? Diagnostic testing
? Gene therapy
? Monoclonal antibodies
? DNA fingerprinting
? Food additives
? Agricultural uses
? Animal husbandry
? Summary
? Questions
? Glossary
? References
? Web links
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
3
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Learning outcomes
? After reading this article, the reader should have understood how a genetically
modified organism is created.
? The reader should be able to differentiate between recombinant DNA and the
process of genetic recombination.
? The reader should have known the history and major accomplishments which
have led to the initiation of recombinant DNA technology.
? The reader should be able to identify how and in what fields recombinant DNA
technology is being used today and the major areas of focus where this
technology is being developed.
Introduction
What is recombinant DNA?
Recombinant DNA, or rDNA, as the name suggests, is comprised of two or more pieces
of DNA molecules that have been combined together to form a single molecule.
Figure: Diagrammatic representation of two DNA molecules that join together to form a
recombinant DNA molecule.
Source: Developed by author
Generally, creation of a recombinant DNA molecule involves two steps:
? In the first step, DNA from two or more sources containing a gene or any other
fragment of interest are cut at specific points/sites.
DNA 1 DNA 2
+
Recombinant DNA
Page 4
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
1
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Discipline: Botany
Paper: Plant Biotechnology
National Coordinator: Prof. S.C. Bhatla
Lesson: Introduction to Recombinant DNA Technology
Lesson Developer: Ms. Manisha Sharma, UDSC
Department/College: Genetics
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
2
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Table of Contents
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
? What is recombinant DNA?
? But first, what is DNA?
? History – Early experiments in recombinant DNA technology
? Applications of recombinant DNA technology
? Pharmaceutical uses
? Vaccines
? Diagnostic testing
? Gene therapy
? Monoclonal antibodies
? DNA fingerprinting
? Food additives
? Agricultural uses
? Animal husbandry
? Summary
? Questions
? Glossary
? References
? Web links
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
3
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Learning outcomes
? After reading this article, the reader should have understood how a genetically
modified organism is created.
? The reader should be able to differentiate between recombinant DNA and the
process of genetic recombination.
? The reader should have known the history and major accomplishments which
have led to the initiation of recombinant DNA technology.
? The reader should be able to identify how and in what fields recombinant DNA
technology is being used today and the major areas of focus where this
technology is being developed.
Introduction
What is recombinant DNA?
Recombinant DNA, or rDNA, as the name suggests, is comprised of two or more pieces
of DNA molecules that have been combined together to form a single molecule.
Figure: Diagrammatic representation of two DNA molecules that join together to form a
recombinant DNA molecule.
Source: Developed by author
Generally, creation of a recombinant DNA molecule involves two steps:
? In the first step, DNA from two or more sources containing a gene or any other
fragment of interest are cut at specific points/sites.
DNA 1 DNA 2
+
Recombinant DNA
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
4
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
? In the second step, the cut DNA sequences are joined together in a controlled
manner to create a recombinant DNA molecule.
Recombinant DNA molecules are also known as chimeric DNA, because they are hybrid
DNA molecules which have been engineered from at least two different sources, like the
mythical chimera.
An organism, if its genome has been altered using recombinant DNA technology is
known as a transgenic or genetically modified (GM) organism. A transgenic organism is
created either by combining DNA from different genomes or by inserting foreign DNA
into the host organism?s genome. The transgene should be introgressed into the germ
line of the organism and is stably inherited by its progeny.
Proteins that are produced in a genetically modified organism due to the expression of a
recombinant DNA are known as recombinant proteins.
But first, what is DNA?
? DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the repository of genetic information that we
inherit from our parents. It decides how we turn out to be as an organism, e.g.
the colour of our skin, our height, curly or straight hair, even in plants whether
they have rounded or pointed leaves, etc. DNA is involved in the creation,
development as well as maintenance of normal body function of all organisms.
? All organisms except some viruses have DNA as their genetic material.
? DNA is a nucleic acid made up of long strands of sugar, phosphate and
nitrogenous bases.
? The nitrogenous bases can further be of four types – adenine (A), guanine (G),
thymine (T) or cytosine(C). Adenine and guanine are purines and thymine and
cytosine are pyrimidines.
A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of heredity
in any living organism. It is the coding sequence of DNA
that contains information to make proteins in a cell.
Page 5
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
1
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Discipline: Botany
Paper: Plant Biotechnology
National Coordinator: Prof. S.C. Bhatla
Lesson: Introduction to Recombinant DNA Technology
Lesson Developer: Ms. Manisha Sharma, UDSC
Department/College: Genetics
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
2
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Table of Contents
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
? What is recombinant DNA?
? But first, what is DNA?
? History – Early experiments in recombinant DNA technology
? Applications of recombinant DNA technology
? Pharmaceutical uses
? Vaccines
? Diagnostic testing
? Gene therapy
? Monoclonal antibodies
? DNA fingerprinting
? Food additives
? Agricultural uses
? Animal husbandry
? Summary
? Questions
? Glossary
? References
? Web links
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
3
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Learning outcomes
? After reading this article, the reader should have understood how a genetically
modified organism is created.
? The reader should be able to differentiate between recombinant DNA and the
process of genetic recombination.
? The reader should have known the history and major accomplishments which
have led to the initiation of recombinant DNA technology.
? The reader should be able to identify how and in what fields recombinant DNA
technology is being used today and the major areas of focus where this
technology is being developed.
Introduction
What is recombinant DNA?
Recombinant DNA, or rDNA, as the name suggests, is comprised of two or more pieces
of DNA molecules that have been combined together to form a single molecule.
Figure: Diagrammatic representation of two DNA molecules that join together to form a
recombinant DNA molecule.
Source: Developed by author
Generally, creation of a recombinant DNA molecule involves two steps:
? In the first step, DNA from two or more sources containing a gene or any other
fragment of interest are cut at specific points/sites.
DNA 1 DNA 2
+
Recombinant DNA
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
4
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
? In the second step, the cut DNA sequences are joined together in a controlled
manner to create a recombinant DNA molecule.
Recombinant DNA molecules are also known as chimeric DNA, because they are hybrid
DNA molecules which have been engineered from at least two different sources, like the
mythical chimera.
An organism, if its genome has been altered using recombinant DNA technology is
known as a transgenic or genetically modified (GM) organism. A transgenic organism is
created either by combining DNA from different genomes or by inserting foreign DNA
into the host organism?s genome. The transgene should be introgressed into the germ
line of the organism and is stably inherited by its progeny.
Proteins that are produced in a genetically modified organism due to the expression of a
recombinant DNA are known as recombinant proteins.
But first, what is DNA?
? DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the repository of genetic information that we
inherit from our parents. It decides how we turn out to be as an organism, e.g.
the colour of our skin, our height, curly or straight hair, even in plants whether
they have rounded or pointed leaves, etc. DNA is involved in the creation,
development as well as maintenance of normal body function of all organisms.
? All organisms except some viruses have DNA as their genetic material.
? DNA is a nucleic acid made up of long strands of sugar, phosphate and
nitrogenous bases.
? The nitrogenous bases can further be of four types – adenine (A), guanine (G),
thymine (T) or cytosine(C). Adenine and guanine are purines and thymine and
cytosine are pyrimidines.
A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of heredity
in any living organism. It is the coding sequence of DNA
that contains information to make proteins in a cell.
Introduction to recombinant DNA technology
5
Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi
Figure: DNA is composed of sugar, phosphate and nitrogenous bases. Two DNA strands
are connected by hydrogen bonds between the bases.
Source: http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/genetics/vgec/schoolscolleges/topics/dna-
genes-chromosomes
? Nitrogenous bases on two separate DNA strands interact with each other to form
two kinds of hydrogen bonds or H-bonds, i.e., a double bond between bases A
and T and a triple bond between bases G and C. The two strands form a helical
ladder-like structure, known as the DNA „double helix?.
The three dimensional DNA double helix structure was
proposed in 1953 by American biologist James Watson and
English physicist Francis Crick. Their proposition was based
on the reasoning given by Austrian biochemist Erwin
Chargaff that A = T and C = G and the crucial X-ray
crystallographic evidence provided by English researchers
Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins.
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