A transgenic is an organism with a foreign gene introduced. However in genome editing systems like CRISPR Cas there is an option of gene knockout in which foreign gene is not introduced but there is only a deletion of an existing gene. Will the new organism obtained after gene knockout will be then considered transgenic
Hi, Camesh.
If CRISPR is used only for deletion of target gene, it will be considered as a mutation occurred in the cells. Therefore, descendant cells are all mutant cells. However, if CRISPR is used for cutting wrong sequence and pasting a normal sequence fragment instead, It would be a mutation that will correct wrong gene sequence from the view point of mother cells used to have wrong sequence. Therefore, original concept of transgenic animal that carrying foreign gene does not fit the CRISPR concept. However, TG and CRISPR are included in genome manipulation category.
Regards.
In the US, an organism is only considered transgenic IF it has DNA added from another species. CRISPR is new enough that a CRISPR-induced knockout would technically not be considered a transgenic organism. However, the technical and legal definitions are different in other countries.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Geoscience
- Asia
- India