Vitamin A contains beta-carotene, which is vital to prevent people from blindness and skin-related diseases. Golden rice was established to be a source of beta-carotene; however, it is also possible to transfer this gene to other species that do not have it via DNA techniques. Recombinant DNA technology is a set of experimental procedures that allows the transfer of genetic material from one organism to another (Ul Haq & Ijaz, 2019). This process has three steps:
- The gene is transferred from golden rice to the other species’ cells.
- The cells incorporate beta-carotene genes, produce protein, and grow.
- The new genes are inherited successfully if the species gives off seeds and passes them to their offspring.
Yeast can be used in this process as a cloning vector because it produces protein when recombinant DNA technology is implemented. Adding yeast as a vector may significantly alleviate the incorporation of the new genes into any species because it includes protein which is vital for the species’ growth and rapid gene manipulation. The cloning vector needs a replication source to reproduce itself in a host cell. Additionally, its site should be restricted for better DNA insertion.
Recombinant DNA technology allows for producing genetically modified products, which, due to their qualities of adaptation to the environment, and high stable yields, can solve the problem of starvation. Moreover, the genetic transformation of plants can accelerate the breeding process and preserve the most desirable characteristics of the variety (Ul Haq & Ijaz, 2019). On the other hand, the introduction of mutagenic food into the human food chain can spread new strains of pathogenic bacteria (Ul Haq & Ijaz, 2019). As a result of intracellular processes, biologically active decomposition products of these enzymes accumulate in some GM varieties of tobacco and rice, which can provoke cancer development.
Reference
Ul Haq, I., & Ijaz, S. (2019). Recombinant DNA technology. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.