Long-term (10-year) monitoring of transposon-mediated transgenic cattle

Abstract

The production of transgenic animals using non-viral methods has raised questions regarding their long-term health and genomic stability. In this study, we evaluated these aspects in transgenic cattle over ten years, using transposon-mediated gene transfer. Our longitudinal analysis included a comprehensive health assessment and whole-genome DNA resequencing. We found no significant alterations in physiological parameters or health complications in transposon-mediated transgenic cattle that exceeded 10 years of age. Genomic analysis revealed that the rates of somatic mutations and copy number variations in transgenic cattle were comparable to those in non-transgenic cattle. Furthermore, structural variants were infrequent, suggesting that transposon-mediated gene insertion did not compromise genomic integrity. These findings highlight the viability of transposon systems for generating transgenic livestock, potentially expanding their applications in agriculture and biotechnology. This study contributes significantly to our understanding of the long-term implications of transgenesis in large animals and supports the safety and stability of this method.