The ability to introduce isolated DNA into eukaryotic cells has tremendous influence on advance in molecular biology. During the past decades, a wide repertoire of gene transfer techniques has evolved. Recently, with the development of attractive strategies for gene therapy, successful gene delivery has gained importance again and become a major challenge in this field. The purpose of this arti...

We studied the temporal and spatial pattern of lipid transfer protein (LTP) gene expression, as well as the localization of this protein, in maize. Using an LTP gene, we observed an accumulation of LTP mRNA in embryos and endosperms during seed maturation. LTP gene expression was also investigated in young seedlings. After germination, the leve1 of LTP mRNA in the coleoptile increased, with a m...

Figure 1. Four novel adaptations made possible by LGT. Upper left: a solar saltern in Eliat, Israel. Upper right: Utagawa Hiroshige’s Bowl of Sushi (detail of woodcut). Lower left: pepper plant roots infected by root-knot nematode. Lower right: pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) exhibiting green, red and yellow color polymorphisms. See text for details. Image credits: Upper left, R. Thane Papke; ...

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the movement of genetic information between organisms, a process that includes the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria (except for those from parent to offspring), fueling pathogen evolution. Many resistance genes evolved long ago in natural environments with no anthropogenic influence but these genes are now rapidly spreading to and among huma...

This article is describing the nine principle techniques for the gene transfection, which are: (1) lipid-mediated method; (2) calcium-phosphate mediated; (3) DEAE-dextran-mediated; (4) electroporation; (5) biolistics (gene gun); (6) viral vectors; (7) polybrene; (8) laser transfection; (9) gene transfection enhanced by elevated temperature, as the references for the researchers who are interest...

Horizontal or Lateral Gene Transfer (HGT or LGT) is the transmission of portions of genomic DNA between organisms through a process decoupled from vertical inheritance. In the presence of HGT events, different fragments of the genome are the result of different evolutionary histories. This can therefore complicate the investigations of evolutionary relatedness of lineages and species. Also, as ...

In humans the skeletal musculature can constitute over 50% of the body mass, and a range of anatomical, physiological and cellular features makes this tissue an attractive candidate for gene transfer procedures designed to augment normal gene function, express heterologous therapeutic products or immunize the host organism. Under normal conditions, skeletal myofibres are stable post-mitotic cel...

Since 1989, a new method for the production of transgenic animals has been available, namely sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT), based on the intrinsic ability of sperm cells to bind and internalise exogenous DNA molecules and to transfer them into the oocyte at fertilisation. We first described the SMGT procedure in a small animal model, with high efficiency reported in the mouse. In addition...

We consider an information-theoretic model studying the conditions when a separation between the dynamics of a ’proto-cell’ and its proto-symbolic representation becomes beneficial in terms of preserving the proto-cell’s information in a noisy environment. In particular, we are interested in understanding the behaviour at the “error threshold” level which, in our case, turns out to be a whole “...