1. Agenda 3/8 and 3/9 Uses in Agriculture Notes Plant Transgenic Activity
Homework:
1. Recombinant DNA video and notes

2. Review from last class
Pathway engineering- using biological or biochemical pathways to get a desired product
Citric acid, penicillin, biogas
Fermenters-continuous batch vs. fed batch
Advantages to using microorganisms in industry

3. Biotechnology in Agriculture
Genetically modified crops
Hepatitis B vaccine using tobacco plants
Amflora potato- not for consumption, for paper

4. Genetically Modified Organisms
GM crops have been given new genes so new proteins will be made
‘a new proteome’
Proteome is set of proteins expressed in an organisms
Transgene- a new gene that is introduced into an organisms
Transgenic Organism- an organism with a new introduce gene that will make different proteins

5. Why would we want GM crops?
Resistance to insects
Resistance to viral disease
Resistance to weed killer
Drought resistance

6. Example: Glyphosate Resistance in Soybean Plants
Glyphosate is commonly referred to as Roundup
Herbicide resistant soybeans are created uses a bacteria that naturally infects the plant- Agrobacterium
Gene for glyphosate resistance is inserted in the bacterial genome
Bacteria is allow to infect plant cells, which transfers the gene to the plant
Agrobacterium is usually pathogenic to plants, but scientists engineer it so it won’t cause the plant harm but will still transfer the DNA

7. Glyphosate Resistance

8. Hepatitis B Vaccine from Tobacco Plants
Hep B is a virus that causes liver disease
The vaccine can be made by tobacco plants in bulk
A gene that makes an antibody to the Hep B virus is put into a modified tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)
As plant is exposed to virus, the TMV will insert its DNA into plant cells
The transgene will cause plants cell to produce the antibody to HepB
After a few days, leaves are cut and antibody is collected

9. Hep B Vaccine

10. Amflora Potato Not for consumption as food
Made for its production of amylopectin
Engineered to produce 100% amylopectin (usually its only 80%)
Used in the paper and adhesive industry
Give printer paper glossier look
Make concrete stick better to walls

11. Questions to be answered…
How to scientists identify the ‘genes of interest’
How do they know what part of DNA codes for glyphosate resistance?
How do they get the desired gene into the plant?
How do they know the process has worked?

12. Identifying Genes
Databases contain tons of information about specific genes
Scientists have to make sure they have the correct chunk of DNA
Scientists will also pair the DNA with other genes to ensure the transfer to the plant is successful

13. Open Reading Frame (ORFs)
Genes that code for a protein have an ‘open reading frame’
ORF is the length of DNA that contains the start codon (ATG) and doesn’t have any stop codons (TAA, TAG, TGA)
ORFs have to have enough nucleotides to make a chain of amino acids
ORF finders are in many databases which are helpful to scientists

14. Identifying ORFs Which of these sequences shows an ORF?
1. ..G CTC AAA ATG GGT CC…
2. ..AA ATC TGA AGT GAT CC..
3. ATC ATT AAT TTT TGC C…

15. Identifying ORFs Which of these sequences shows an ORF?
1. ..G CTC AAA ATG GGT CC…
2. ..AA ATC TGA AGT GAT CC..
3. ATC ATT AAT TTT TGC C…

16. Controlling Gene Expression
When scientists design a ‘desired gene’ they include a few components to control express
1. Transgene- sequence that codes for desired protein product
2. Termination Sequence- sequence that will end transcription
3. Promoter- sequence that tells RNA polymerase where to start transcription
4. Marker gene- a way to see which cells successfully incorporated the new transgene

17. Marker Genes
Markers genes are sequences of DNA that will be added to the ‘gene of interest’
They will allow scientists to know or see if the plant successfully took up new gene
Examples of marker genes: antibiotic resistance, fluorescence, pigment production
You don’t want the marker gene to harm the plant or interfere with protein production