Genetically modified lean pigs are 24% less fat than normal pigs

Chinese scientists announced on October 23rd that they had used gene editing to produce a healthy batch of lean pigs, 24% less fat than normal pigs.
was led by Zhao Jianguo of the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the paper was published in the new issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
some experts believe this is an important development.
there are also doubts about the popular acceptance of gene-edited lean pigs.
Zhao Jianguo's research team, using a new generation of gene editing tool CRISPR, inserted a gene called disconity protein 1 (UCP1) into pig cells to reduce fat deposition, increase lean meat, and eventually produce 24% less pig fat than normal pigs. "This provides good material for the cultivation of new breeds of pigs and a proof of concept for rapidly improving the quantity of pigs through gene editing technology," Zhao Jianguo,
, told Xinhua.
explained that the UCP1 gene plays an important role in maintaining the body temperature and energy balance of animals.
studies have shown that knocking out UCP1 can cause mice to become obese, while activating it can prevent diet-induced obesity.
but the ancestors of modern domestic pigs lost the UCP1 gene 20 million years ago.
To do this, they used gene-editing tools to integrate the UCP1 gene into the genomes of fibroblasts in pig fetuses, create more than 2,500 cloned pig embryos, and then inject them into 13 surrogate sows, three of which became pregnant and produced 12 male piglets.
compared with wild pigs, the body temperature regulation ability of these piglets was significantly enhanced, but the fat rate and thickness were significantly reduced, and the lean meat rate was significantly improved.
analysis shows that the UCP1 gene mainly reduces fat deposition and fat rate by promoting fat hydrolysing.
, the UCP1 gene does not affect the amount of activity in pigs and does not cause energy waste.
the pigs were slaughtered at the age of six months, butcher analysis showed that their weight and feed conversion rates were the same as those of wild pigs.
, one of the 12 male piglets mated with other sows and successfully gave birth to healthy offspring.
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