11.

BIOTECHNOLOGY: PRINCIPLES & PROCESSES

Biotechnology deals with techniques of using live organisms
or their enzymes for products and processes useful to humans.
The European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB)
defines Biotechnology as the integration of natural science
and organisms, cells, parts thereof, and molecular
analogues for products and services.
Biotechnology deals with:
- Microbe-mediated processes (making curd, bread, wine etc).
- In vitro fertilisation (test-tube baby programme)
- Synthesis and using of a gene
- Preparation of a DNA vaccine
- Correcting a defective gene

PRINCIPLES OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
The two core techniques of modern biotechnology are:
a. Genetic engineering: The technique in which the genetic
material (DNA & RNA) is chemically altered and
introduced into host organisms to change the phenotype.
b. Maintenance of sterile ambience: It is necessary in
chemical engineering processes for growing only the
desired microbe/ eukaryotic cell in large quantities for
the manufacture of antibiotics, vaccines, enzymes, etc.
- Traditional hybridisation techniques lead to inclusion and
multiplication of undesirable genes along with desired
genes. Genetic engineering helps to isolate and introduce
only desirable genes into the target organism.
- A piece of DNA is not able to multiply itself in the
progeny cells of the organism. But, when it gets
integrated into the recipient genome, it multiplies and
inherits along with the host DNA.
- First recombinant DNA was emerged from the possibility
of linking a gene of antibiotic resistance with a native
plasmid of Salmonella typhimurium. Stanley Cohen &
Herbert Boyer (1972) isolated the antibiotic resistance
gene by cutting out a piece of DNA from a plasmid.
3 basic steps in genetically modifying an organism:
a) Identification of DNA with desirable genes
b) Introduction of the identified DNA into the host
c) Maintenance of introduced DNA in the host and
transfer of the DNA to its progeny.

TOOLS OF RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY

1. Restriction Enzymes (molecular scissors)
In 1963, two enzymes responsible for restricting the
growth of bacteriophage in E. coli were isolated. One of
these added methyl groups to DNA. The other
(restriction endonuclease) cut DNA.
The first restriction endonuclease is Hind II. It always
cuts DNA molecules at a particular point by recognizing
a specific sequence of six base pairs. This is known as
the recognition sequence for Hind II.
Today more than 900 restriction enzymes have been
isolated from over 230 strains of bacteria.
Naming of the restriction enzymes: First letter indicates
genus and the second two letters indicate species of the
prokaryotic cell from which they were isolated.
E.g. EcoRI comes from E. coli RY 13 (R = the strain.
Roman numbers = the order in which the enzymes were
isolated from that strain of bacteria).
Restriction enzymes belong to a class of enzymes called
nucleases. They include exonucleases & endonucleases.

Exonucleases
They remove nucleotides from the ends of the DNA.
Endonucleases
- They cut at specific positions within the DNA. (For
figures see TB page: 196).
- Each restriction endonuclease can bind to specific
recognition sequence of the DNA and cut each of the two
strands at specific points in their sugar-phosphate
backbones. Each restriction endonuclease recognizes a
specific palindromic nucleotide sequences in the DNA.
- The palindrome in DNA is a sequence of base pairs that
read the same on the two strands in 5' 3' direction and
in 3' 5' direction. E.g.
5' GAATTC 3'
3' CTTAAG 5'
- Restriction enzymes cut the strand a little away from the
centre of the palindrome sites, but between the same two
bases on the opposite strands. This leaves single stranded
overhanging stretches at the ends. They are called sticky
ends. They form H-bonds with their complementary cut
counterparts. This stickiness facilitates action of the
enzyme DNA ligase. (For figure see TB page: 197).
- When cut by the same restriction enzyme, the resultant
DNA fragments have the same kind of sticky-ends and
these are joined together by DNA ligases.
Separation and isolation of DNA fragments:
- DNA fragments formed by restriction endonucleases can
be separated by a technique called gel electrophoresis.
(For figure see TB page: 198).
- DNA fragments are negatively charged. So they can be
separated by moving them towards the anode under an
electric field through a medium/matrix such as agarose
(a natural polymer extracted from sea weeds).
- The DNA fragments separate (resolve) according to their
size through sieving effect provided by the agarose gel.
The smaller sized fragment move farther.
- The separated DNA fragments can be visualized after
staining the DNA with ethidium bromide followed by
exposure to UV radiation. Bright orange coloured DNA
bands can be seen.
- The separated DNA bands are cut out from agarose gel
and extracted from gel piece. This step is called elution.
These purified DNA fragments are used in constructing
recombinant DNA by joining them with cloning vectors.

2. Cloning Vectors
- They are the DNA molecules that can carry a foreign
DNA segment and replicate inside the host cells.
E.g. Plasmids (circular extra-chromosomal DNA of
bacteria) and bacteriophages.
- Bacteriophages (high number per cell) have very high
copy numbers of their genome within the bacterial cells.
Some plasmids have only 1-2 copies per cell. Others may
have 15-100 copies per cell.
- When the cloning vectors are multiplied in the host the
linked piece of DNA is also multiplied to the numbers
equal to the copy number of the vectors.
Features of cloning vector:
a. Origin of replication (ori): This is a sequence from
where replication starts. A piece of DNA linked to ori

can replicate within the host cells. This also controls the
copy number of the linked DNA. So, for getting many
copies of the target DNA it should be cloned in a vector
whose origin support high copy number.
b. Selectable marker (marker gene): It helps to select the
transformants and eliminate the non-transformants.
Transformation is a procedure in which a piece of DNA
is introduced in a host bacterium.
Selectable markers of E. coli include the genes encoding
resistance to antibiotics like ampicillin, chloramphenicol,
tetracycline or kanamycin, etc. The normal E. coli cells
do not carry resistance against any of these antibiotics.
c. Cloning sites: In order to link the alien DNA, the vector
needs very few recognition sites for restriction enzymes.
Presence of more than one recognition sites generates
several fragments, which complicates the gene cloning.
The ligation of alien DNA is carried out at a restriction
site present in one of the two antibiotic resistance genes.
E.g. ligation of a foreign DNA at the Bam H I site of
tetracycline resistance gene in the vector pBR322.

The tumor inducing (Ti) plasmid of A. tumifaciens is

modified into a cloning vector which is not pathogenic
to the plants but is able to use the mechanisms to
deliver genes of interest into plants.
Retroviruses in animals can transform normal cells into
cancerous cells. So they are used to deliver desirable
genes into animal cells.

3. Competent Host (For Transformation with

Recombinant DNA)
- DNA is a hydrophilic molecule. So it cannot pass
through cell membranes.
- To avoid this problem, bacterial cells are treated with a
specific concentration of a divalent cation (e.g. calcium).
So DNA enters the bacterium through pores in cell wall.
- Such cells are incubated with recombinant DNA on ice.
Then they are placed briefly at 420C (heat shock) and put
them back on ice. This enables the bacteria to take up the
recombinant DNA.
Other methods to introduce alien DNA into host cells:
Micro-injection: In this, recombinant DNA is directly
injected into the nucleus of an animal cell.
Biolistics (gene gun): In this, cells are bombarded with
high velocity micro-particles of gold or tungsten coated
with DNA. This method is suitable for plants.
Disarmed pathogen vectors: which when infect the
cell, transfer the recombinant DNA into the host.

PROCESSES OF RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY

1. Isolation of the Genetic Material (DNA)

- The recombinant plasmids lose tetracycline resistance
due to insertion of foreign DNA. But they can be selected
out from non-recombinant ones by plating the
transformants on ampicillin containing medium.
- Then these transformants are transferred on tetracycline
medium. The recombinants grow in ampicillin medium
but not on tetracycline medium. But, non-recombinants
will grow on the medium containing both the antibiotics.
- In this case, one antibiotic resistance gene helps to select
the transformants, whereas the other antibiotic resistance
gene gets inactivated due to insertion of alien DNA, and
helps in selection of recombinants.
- Selection of recombinants due to inactivation of antibiotics
requires simultaneous plating on 2 plates having different
antibiotics. Therefore, alternative selectable markers have
developed to differentiate recombinants from nonrecombinants on the basis of their ability to produce colour
in the presence of a chromogenic substrate.
- A recombinant DNA is inserted within the coding
sequence of an enzyme, -galactosidase. So the enzyme
is inactivated. It is called insertional inactivation. Such
colonies do not produce any colour. These are identified
as recombinant colonies.
- If the plasmid in bacteria have no an insert it gives blue
coloured colonies in presence of chromogenic substrate.
d. Vectors for cloning genes in plants and animals:
Genetic tools of some pathogens can be transformed into
useful vectors for delivering genes to plants & animals. E.g.
Agrobacterioum tumifaciens (a pathogen of many dicot
plants) can deliver a piece of DNA (T-DNA) to
transform normal plant cells into a tumor. These tumor
cells produce the chemicals required by the pathogen.

- To get pure DNA (free from other macro-molecules), the

bacterial cells/plant or animal tissue are treated with
enzymes such as lysozyme (bacteria), cellulase (plant
cells), chitinase (fungus) etc. The cell is broken to
release DNA along with other macromolecules (RNA,
proteins, polysaccharides and lipids).
- Genes (DNA) are interwined with proteins such as
histones. RNA is removed by treating with ribonuclease.
Proteins are removed by treatment with protease. Other
molecules are removed by appropriate treatments.
- When chilled ethanol is added purified DNA precipitates
out as a collection of fine threads in the suspension.

2. Cutting of DNA at Specific Locations

- Restriction enzyme digestions are performed by
incubating purified DNA with the restriction enzyme, at
the optimal conditions.
- Agarose gel electrophoresis is employed to check the
progression of a restriction enzyme digestion. As DNA is
negatively charged, it moves towards the anode. The
process is repeated with the vector DNA also. (For figure
see TB page: 198).
- After cutting the source DNA and the vector DNA, the
cut out gene (DNA segment) of interest from the source
DNA and the cut vector are mixed and ligase is added.
This creates recombinant DNA.

3. Amplification of Gene of Interest using PCR

- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is the synthesis of
multiple copies of the gene of interest in vitro using 2
sets of primers & the enzyme DNA polymerase.
Primers are small chemically synthesized oligonucleotides
that are complementary to the regions of DNA.
- The enzyme extends the primers using the nucleotides
and the genomic DNA (template). Through continuous

DNA replication, the DNA segment is amplified up to 1

billion copies. (For figures see TB page: 202).
- For amplification a thermostable DNA polymerase
(isolated from a bacterium, Thermus aquaticus) is used.
It remains active in high temperature during the
denaturation of double stranded DNA.
- The amplified fragment can be used to ligate with a
vector for further cloning.

4. Insertion of Recombinant DNA into the Host

Cell/Organism
- There are several methods of introducing the ligated
DNA into recipient cells. Recipient cells take up DNA
present in its surrounding.
- If a recombinant DNA bearing ampicillin resistant gene
(a selectable marker gene) is transferred into E. coli cells,
the host cells become ampicillin-resistant cells.
- If the transformed cells are spread on agar plates
containing ampicillin, only transformants will grow,
untransformed recipient cells will die.

5. Obtaining the Foreign Gene Product

- The ultimate aim of recombinant DNA technology is to
produce a desirable protein. The foreign gene gets
expressed under appropriate conditions.
- If a protein encoding gene is expressed in a heterologous
host, it is called a recombinant protein.
- The cells with foreign genes may be grown on a small
scale in the laboratory. The cultures may be used to
extract the desired protein and purify it by using different
separation techniques.
- The cells can also be multiplied in a continuous culture
system. Here, the used medium is drained out from one
side while fresh medium is added from the other. It
maintains the cells more physiologically active and so

produces a larger biomass leading to higher yields of

desired protein.

Bioreactors
- To produce large quantities of products, the bioreactors
are used where large volumes (100-1000 litres) of culture
can be processed.
- Bioreactors are the vessels in which raw materials are
biologically converted into specific products, enzymes
etc., using microbial plant, animal or human cells.
- A bioreactor provides the optimal growth conditions
(temperature, pH, substrate, salts, vitamins, oxygen) for
achieving the desired product.
- The most commonly used bioreacters are of stirring type
(stirred-tank reactor) (For figures see TB page: 204).
It is usually cylindrical or with a curved base to facilitate
the mixing of the reactor contents. The stirrer facilitates
even mixing and oxygen availability. Alternatively air
can be bubbled through the reactor. The bioreactor has
An agitator system
An oxygen delivery system
A foam control system
A temperature control system
pH control system
Sampling ports (for periodic withdrawal of the culture).

6. Downstream Processing
- It is a series of processes such as separation and
purification of products after the biosynthetic stage.
- The product is formulated with suitable preservatives.
Such formulation undergoes thorough clinical trials as in
case of drugs. Strict quality control testing for each
product is also required.
- The downstream processing and quality control testing
vary from product to product.

Prepared by:
K.C. MUHAMMED ALI
mailtokcm@gmail.com
bankofbiology.blogspot.in