This study was performed to test the cellulose digestibility using the transgenic pigs harboring cellulose degradation gene D (CelD). After delivered offsprings between normal pig and transgenic swine, DNA was isolated from piglets tail for PCR analysis. In first generation, five out of 65 piglets showed CelD positive. Unfortunately, four CelD-positive pigs were died during growing, but one survived pig was used as a transgenic founder to produce F₁ descendents. Among 3 F₁ transgenic pigs produced, one died and the remaining two pigs were used to test the fiber digest efficiency. An assorted feed was composite of 5％ fiber with other ingredients. The feed of 3 kg per day was provided to the pigs including transgenic founders and littermate controls. The manure quantity was measured daily for a month, and all manures were dried for three days to analysis nitrogen, phosphate and fiber concentrations. The fiber digestion efficiencies of the transgenic F₁ pigs showed approximately 10％ higher than those of control pigs. Fiber digestion was not greatly improved in transgenic pigs as it had been expected approximately 30％. Nitrogen concentration of transgenic pig′s manure was slowly decreased compare to the control pigs. Because there were only two transgenic pigs tested, a large number of transgenic pigs may be necessary to obtain more reliable data. Breeding of animals to obtain sufficient transgenic pigs subjected for a further study is on progress. Taken together, this study demonstrated successful production of transgenic pigs with increase of cellulose digestibility in the porcine feed.

The present study were performed to analysis the hematocrit and the red blood cells content into the blood plasma of the transgenic pigs harboring recombinent human erythropoietin gene (rhEPO). Mouse whey acidic protein (mWAP) linked to rhEPO gene was microinjected into pronuclei of porcine one-cell zygotes. After delivered of offspring, PCR analyses identified one mWAP-rhEPO transgenic founder offspring(F/sub 0/). The first generation of transgenic pig (F/sub 0/) harboring mWAP-hEPO appeared to be a male, and the second generation (F₁) pigs were made by natural mating of F/sub 0/ with domestic swine, and male and female transgenic pigs (F₁) were identified by PCR. The blood samples from transgenic and normal pigs were collected for 50 days during lactation and were counted the red blood cell (RBC) numbers and Hematocrit (HCT) content into the blood. The transgenic pigs expressing rhEPO in their blood gave rise to higher RBC numbers and HCT contents than control animals. rhEPO was secreted both in the blood and milk of genetically engineered pigs harboring rhEPO gene. Therefore, this study provides a model regarding the production of transgenic pig carrying hEPO transgene for biomedical research.

We investigated whether sound could alter gene expression in plants. Using a sound-treated subtractive library, a set of sound-responsive genes in plants was demonstrated through mRNA expression analyses. Of them, the rbcS and ald genes, which are light responsive, up-regulated their expression with sound treatment in both light and in dark conditions. This suggested that sound could be used as a gene regulator instead of light. When we analyzed ald gene expression using various single wavelengths, a significant increase in mRNA levels was found at 125 or 250 Hz but decreased at 50 Hz, indicating that the gene responded to sound in a wavelength-specific manner. To determine whether the ald promoter respond to sound, we generated transgenic rice plants harboring the chimeric gene consisting of a 1,506-bp promoter fragment of the ald gene fused to Escherichia coli GUS reporter gene. Analyses of mRNA expressison level of three independent transgenic lines sound-treated with 50 or 250 Hz for 4 h showed that the Gus gene expression in all three transgenic lines was up regulated by 250 Hz, but down regulated by 50 Hz. These results correlated with sound responsive mRNA expression pattern observed for the ald gene in rice plants, indicating that the 1,506-bp ald promoter confers sound-responsiveness on a reporter gene in transgenic rice plants. We also investigated whether sound waves could improve salt tolerance in rice seedling. The rice seedlings were sound treated with 800 Hz for 1hr, and then treated with 0, 75, 150, and 225mM NaCl for 3 days to observe changes in physiological and morphological aspects. Sound treatment seedlings resulted in enhanced salt stress tolerance, mainly demonstrated by the sound treated seedlings exhibiting of increased root relative water contents (RWC), root length and weight, photochemical efficiency (ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence, Fv/Fm), and germination rate under salt stress condition. This demonstrates that a specific sound wave might be used, not only to alter gene expression in plant, but also to improve salt stress tolerance.