Transgenic poultry: theory and practice

SummaryTransgenics is the new science of inserting foreign genes into the genome of an animal in such a way that they function normally and are inherited stably according to Mendelian laws.Proposed methods of inserting genes into the genome of the fowl are described. They include microinjection of the ovum, use of the fertilising spermatozoa as carriers (vectors) and use of retroviruses which have been genetically manipulated in order to prevent their replication whilst carrying in their own genome the chosen foreign gene. Likely strategies for the future are outlined.The second part of the review is concerned with examining the state of knowledge regarding the identification and isolation (cloning) of genes that might be worth inserting into poultry. It is concluded that the information regarding host genes is still some years away. By contrast the situation with genes from viral pathogens is more encouraging, particularly in regard to the use of those genes in their antisense (reversed) configuration.