ANIMALNET AUGUST 3, 2000 -- II Canada court allows patent of genetically-engineered Mouse Gene expression on target in Sheep Alberta ranchers move from Beef to Bison Manure management subject to Twp. meeting The cats came back Magpie pays for bread it eats AnimalNet is produced by the Centre for Safe Food at the University of Guelph, and is supported by the Ontario Cattlemen's Association, the U.S. National Pork Producers, U.S. National Food Processors Association, Pfizer Animal Health Group, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited (Canada), Canadian Animal Health Institute, Meat & Livestock Australia, Canadian Pork Council, Ontario Egg Producers, Ontario Farm Animal Council, U.S. National Cattlemens Beef Association, the Rutgers Food Risk Analysis Initiative, Ag-West Biotech, Land O' Lakes Feed, Capital Health, Animal Industry Foundation, American Feed Industry Assn., the Ontario Soybean Growers Marketing Board, Food Indsutry Environmental Network, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors, Chicken Farmers of Canada, MDS Nordion, American Meat Institute, AdCulture, USDA Veterinary Services (Fort Collins) Alberta Farm Animal Council, and the Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt Program). archived at: http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/safefood/archives/animalnet-archives.htm CANADA COURT ALLOWS PATENT OF GENETICALLY-ENGINEERED MOUSE August 3, 2000 CBC News http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2000/08/03/mousepatent000803 OTTAWA - Harvard University will be able to patent a genetically-modified mouse in Canada. On Thursday, the Federal Court of Canada overruled a previous court decision made two years ago. The 1998 ruling said the mouse, and other complex life forms, were not patentable. The Federal Courtıs new ruling marks the first time Canada has allowed a mammal to be patented. Harvardıs "oncomouse" is designed to be prone to developing cancer so it can be used in research. Harvard succeeded to patent the transgenic rodent in the U.S. in 1998. It was granted a corresponding patent in Europe but the case faced opposition and a final decision has yet to be made. In the past, Canadian law has only permitted micro-organisms to be patented. Patents exist, for example, on a yeast culture that is used to digest and break down liquid waste from pulp mills. GENE EXPRESSION ON TARGET IN SHEEP August 2000 ISB News Report Eric A. Wong, Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech From: Information Systems for Biotechnology The eagerly awaited paper reporting gene targeting in sheep has been published in the June 29, 2000 issue of Nature by scientists at PPL Therapeutics in Edinburgh, UK. Ever since the first report of sheep cloning in 1996, nuclear transfer technology has been heralded as a means of circumventing the block to gene targeting in species other than mice. Current gene targeting technology in mice requires embryonic stem cell cultures that remain undifferentiated after stable transfection and selection in culture. The lack of comparable embryonic stem cells in other species has limited gene targeting experiments to mice. Gene targeting involves the precise manipulation of a specific gene or chromosomal location. The gene can be modified slightly by the insertion, deletion, or substitution of a few nucleotides or can be deleted entirely. Animals containing a functional deletion of a gene are referred to as "knockout" animals. The potential advantages of gene targeting are numerous. Gene targeting can be used to correct or delete a deleterious gene or to ensure the precise chromosomal placement of a foreign gene during transgenesis. In this report, the sheep alpha 1 procollagen (COL1A1) gene was selected as the target genetic locus because 1) it is one of the few well studied genes cloned from sheep, 2) it is highly expressed in fetal fibroblasts, facilitating selection for the gene targeted event, and 3) mutations in the gene can be used to generate animal models of human diseases (other than mice). In humans, mutations in the conserved COL1A1 gene cause connective tissue disorders, such as osteogenesis imperfecta. Primary sheep fetal fibroblasts were transfected with two different gene targeting constructs. One targeting construct was designed to insert a selectable marker (neo) after the procollagen gene to produce a fused messenger RNA between procollagen and neo. The second targeting construct was designed to fuse not only neo but also a transgene, consisting of the ovine beta lactoglobulin promoter and human alpha 1 antitrypsin (AAT) gene, to procollagen. Following selection and screening for fetal fibroblasts containing the desired genetic modification of the procollagen locus, nuclear transfer was performed to generate lambs. Out of the 417 reconstructed embryos, 14 liveborn lambs were generated. Seven lambs died within 30 hours of birth and four more died on days three and eight and weeks 7.5 and 12. Three lambs are still alive and are about one year of age. Post mortem examination of lambs that died in utero or after birth revealed that there was a high incidence of kidney defects, liver and brain pathology. These findings, however, are similar to previous nuclear transfer studies indicating that the developmental abnormalities are likely due to some aspect of the nuclear transfer protocol and not a consequence of gene targeting per se. One of the surviving lambs, which had the human AAT transgene inserted at the procollagen locus, was hormonally induced to lactate. Milk samples from this lamb contained 650 micrograms of human AAT per milliliter of milk. This human AAT level is comparable to the highest level of AAT found in transgenic sheep containing the same human AAT transgene integrated at random chromosomal locations. This result indicates that the procollagen locus allows correct mammary-specific transgene expression even though the procollagen gene is not normally expressed in mammary cells. Thus the procollagen gene locus may serve as an ideal site for the insertion and expression of other therapeutically useful genes. This report of successful gene targeting opens up a wide range of possibilities for genetic manipulation of livestock. Expression of human pharmaceutical proteins in the milk of transgenic livestock will not be such a hit-or-miss proposition caused by differences in the chromosomal location of the transgene. Also, key genes in the livestock genome can now be deleted. As mentioned in the paper, the authors have preliminary evidence showing that the alpha-1,3-galactosyl transferase gene in pig fibroblasts has been targeted. Functional disruption of this enzyme would make pig tissue less immunogenic to the human immune system and would be a major step forward in the development of pig organs and tissues for xenotransplantation. ALBERTA RANCHERS MOVE FROM BEEF TO BISON August 3, 2000 CBC News http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2000/08/02/bisona000802 EDMONTON - "I think itıs a wonderful lean and healthy alternative to beef," says chef Joe Kennedy. And 1,200 delegates to a conference in Edmonton agree. They are the ranchers and processors on the ground floor of the bison business. Most of them are new to it and theyıre taking in sessions such as ŒBison 101ı, and ŒFrom the Pasture to the Plate.ı Persuading people to replace beef with bison is Mike Grebaıs job. His company, Canadian Rangeland Bison, wants the big grocery stores to start selling it. "We have a product that is good for you. We have a product that is now affordable for the consumer." Itıs lower in fat and cholesterol than beef, but bison has always been seen as an expensive and exotic meat. Now that more ranchers are producing it, the problem is getting more people to buy it. Alberta is at the heart of the worldıs bison business. Nearly half the 130,000 bison raised in Canada are raised on Alberta ranches. Shaun Grant is among the converted. Seven years ago, he started phasing out his cattle herd in favour of bison. Now the cattle are gone and his bison herd numbers 300. He has no regrets. "With cattle it seemed like the deeper you get into it the more you have to do for them. And we wanted the animal to do for us for a change and with the bison thatıs the way it is," Grant said. "The more you leave them alone the better off they do." The producers say the size of the conference shows the bison industry has come of age. They say the next step is to put bison meat on dinner plates around the world. MANURE MANAGEMENT SUBJECT TO TWP. MEETING August 3, 2000 Colborne Chronicle County Page12 Business Mandy Martin A public meeting will be held by Cramahe Township council, before Cramahe Township enacts a ``nutrient management Œı bylaw governing waste on large ag operations. Cramaheıs Chief Building Official Becky Bonisteel was quoted as telling council July 17, ``The province is asking municipalities to pass a bylaw of this nature.ıı A sample of a bylaw was presented. Hope, Hamilton Alnwick and Brighton Townships have passed nutrient management bylaws. The bylaws govern ``largeıı farm operations with a rule of thumb classifying ``largeıı as any operation with 150-plus animals. Councillor Marc Coombs was quoted as asking, ``Hasnıt the Ontario Federation of Agriculture asked us not to pass such a bylaw? And I think itıs the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) that suggested the provincial legislation will be ready by fall and they will govern this rather than us (a municipality).ıı Medical Officer of Health Alex Hukowich last spring was cited as recommending different waste management regulations for large agricultural operation. Reeve Stu Oliver was quoted as noting, ```because the waste is so concentrated and it it rains, it moves. Given what has happened at Walkerton, he was right. ``What harm is it going to do if we do pass it? If the province is bringing in legislation this fall, this is for the interim we weıve got something on the books.ıı Councillor Marc Coombs was quoted as saying, ``Brighton had a public meeting. Iıd like to let farmers respond or comment on it.ıı Deputy reeve Williams was quoted as agreeing, ``Iıd like to get input from the local farmers to define intensive farming, what numbers constitute intensive farming.ıı Treasurer Administrator Gerry Morrison was cited as suggesting a draft bylaw be prepared for discussion at a public meeting advertised ahead of the date. The meeting is tentatively slated for September. THE CATS CAME BACK August 3, 2000 The Edmonton Sun News Page 21 Sun Media This story explained that two hungry and curious orphaned cougars released into the wild are back behind bars at the Calgary Zoo, unlikely to be released again. The bold nine-month-old wildcats were caught by conservation officers this week after they wandered within three metres of campers. Banff National Park warden Glen Peers, was quoted as saying, "Their concern is a public safety one and a very valid one," "If the cougars are willing to enter camps with people around, and apparently these camps had children, thatıs a concern." While the cats had made at least two kills and were travelling great distances, wardens were worried because they came into contact with humans five times. MAGPIE PAYS FOR BREAD IT EATS August 4, 2000 The Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au/news/0008/04/pageone/pageone13.html London: A woman who began to leave bread for a magpie at her family home was amazed when she found that the bird was payin her for it in coins. The magpie, a regular diner at the Waring family home on Wirral, Merseyside, has so far left $4.42 in coins on the garden bird table. Gill Waring, 41, a mother of two from Rosefield Avenue, Bebington, began leaving bread for the bird and noticed one or two coins were being left behind each day. "I was baffled because I didnıt know how the coins got there and then one day I looked out of the window and saw the magpie leaving money. I couldnıt believe it," she said today. The bird arrives at 7.30am each day sharp. "I think the magpie must pick the coins up because I was told they are attracted to shiny things. He is a very clever bird," Waring said. Kirsty Peck, wildlife adviser at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said: "No bird leaves something behind in exchange for food. "It is very unusual because exchanging something is a human trait and not common in birds. "I can only assume somebody has taught the bird to do this." To subscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: (subscription is free) listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca leave subject line blank in the body of the message type: subscribe animalnet-L firstname lastname i.e. subscribe animalnet -L Wendy Powell To unsubscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca leave subject line blank in the body of the message type: signoff animalnet-L For more information about the AnimalNet research program, please contact: Dr. Wendy Powell wpowell@uoguelph.ca http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/safefood archived at: http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/safefood/archives/animalnet-archives.htm