Transgene
A gene or genetic materials that has been transferred by any kind of technique that is used by genetic engineers from one organism to another organism is called a transgene.
To be more precise, using the term transgene is a way of describing a segment of DNA that contains a gene sequence that has been cut off or removed from one organism and then introduced to the system of another organism. This segment of DNA, which is now in a foreign environment, can possibly retain its ability to produce RNA or protein in the transgenic organism’s genetic code. Usually, the DNA is mixed with or introduced to the organism’s germ line. For instance, among higher vertebrates this process can be successfully done by injecting the foreign DNA into the nucleus of an embryo that has already been fertilized. This very simple technique is usually employed as a way of introducing human disease genes or other genes that are being studied into strains of laboratory mice. Scientist and geneticists do this as a way of studying the pathology or the function that is involved or associated with the introduced gene.
A transgene can also be used as a way of describing any kind of DNA sequence that has been introduced to an organism. The introduced DNA sequence can either be a gene coding sequence or an artificial construct.
Web Resources On Transgene
Transfecting genes
Transgene transmission to progeny by oMt1a-oGH transgenic mice
Book Resources On TransgeneTransgenic Organisms and Biosafety: Horizontal Gene Transfer, Stability of DNA, Expression of Transgenes by E. R. Schmidt
Molecular Biology of the Cell, Fourth Edition by Bruce Alberts, et. al.
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