Understanding Transgenic Mammals and Pharming

Transgenic mammals are animals that have been genetically modified to express a gene from another species. This process is often used in biotechnology for a technique called 'Pharming'. Pharming involves using transgenic animals to produce large quantities of therapeutic proteins or pharmaceuticals, usually in their milk, blood, or urine.

Producing proteins in milk is particularly advantageous because milk is produced in large quantities and can be collected easily without harming the animal. The mammary gland is also a good bioreactor for protein synthesis and secretion.

Polly the Transgenic Sheep and Human Factor IX

The transgenic sheep named 'Polly' was a significant development in the field of pharming. Polly was genetically engineered to produce a specific human protein in her milk.

The protein produced by Polly was Human factor IX. Human factor IX is a crucial protein involved in the blood clotting process. Individuals who have a deficiency in functional Human factor IX suffer from a bleeding disorder known as Hemophilia B.

Producing Human factor IX in the milk of transgenic sheep like Polly offered a promising way to obtain large quantities of this protein for treating Hemophilia B. This represented a major step forward in using animals as 'bioreactors' for producing complex human therapeutic proteins.

Examining the Options

• Insulin: Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. While insulin has been produced recombinantly, Polly specifically produced Human Factor IX.
• Human factor IX: This is the correct protein that the transgenic sheep Polly was engineered to produce in her milk for treating Hemophilia B.
• Human growth hormone: Human growth hormone stimulates growth and cell reproduction. It has also been produced recombinantly, but Polly's achievement was related to Human Factor IX.
• Epinephrine: Epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) is a hormone and neurotransmitter. It is not typically produced using transgenic animals in this manner for therapeutic use.

Therefore, the transgenic mammal 'Polly' produced Human factor IX in her milk, marking a significant advancement in Pharming for therapeutic protein production.