PubMed Health⌕ Search

PubMed · 15812969

Engineering genetic injustice.

Abstract

In their jointly written book, From Chance to Choice: Genetics and Justice, Allen Buchanan, Dan Brock, Norman Daniels and Daniel Wikler defend 'the development and deployment of genetic intervention technologies..', including genetic enhancements, against charges that they exacerbate injustice. The present paper examines some of their arguments. The first section shows that the authors confuse real societies with just societies. The second shows that without this confusion, their arguments reveal the enormous justice-impairing potential of deploying genetic enhancements in such societies as the United States.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Peter Wenz. 2005. Engineering genetic injustice.. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8519.2005.00421.x

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

Secretion of human interleukin-2 fused with green fluorescent protein in recombinant Pichia pastoris.

Methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris is convenient for the expression of eukaryotic foreign proteins owing to its potential for posttranslational modifications, protein folding, and facile culturing. In this work, human interleukin (hIL)-2 was successfully produced as a secreted fusion form in recombinant P. pastoris. By employing green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a monitoring fusion partner, clear identification of fusion protein expression and quantification of intracellular hIL-2 were possible even though there was no correlation between culture supernatant fluorescence and secreted hIL-2 owing to high media interference. Importantly, by the addition of casamino acids in basal medium, we were able to enhance threefold amount of secreted hIL-2, which was present both as a fusion and as a clipped fragment.

Genetic Enhancement↗

Efficient secretion of human lysozyme from the yeast, Kluyveromyces lactis.

Efficient secretion of human lysozyme from the yeast, Kluyveromyces lactis, was achieved by using more stable vectors in the order of S11 replication origin-containing episomal vector < full-length K. lactis plasmid pKD1-containing vector < centromeric vector < chromosome-integrated vectors. Cells containing a PGK (phosphoglycerate kinase) promoter-driven integration vector grown in non-selective rich medium achieved the highest level of secretion, approximately 100 microg lysozyme secretion ml(-1) culture: this level was approximately 10-fold higher than that achieved by episomal vectors. An additional copy of the protein disulfide isomerase gene further facilitated the secretion.

Genetic Enhancement↗

Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of L-glycerol 3-phosphate.

L-glycerol 3-phosphate (L-G3P) was accumulated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by pathway engineering. Intracellular concentration of this metabolic intermediate could be increased more than 20 times compared to the wild type by overexpressing GPD1 encoding the glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in a gpp1 Delta gpp2 Delta mutant which lacks both isoenzymes of glycerol 3-phosphatase. Investigation of cellular pattern of triacylglycerols and glycerophospholipids did not reveal considerable changes due to accumulation of their precursor L-G3P. Hyperosmotic stress did not affect the L-G3P pool in the gpp1 Delta gpp2 Delta mutant overexpressing GPD1 despite an about 4-fold increase of specific GPD activity. In contrast, oxygen limitation improved intracellular L-G3P concentration by enhancing the availability of cytosolic NADH. The reduction of pyruvate decarboxylase activity by deleting PDC2 led to an additional increase. In fact, the triple mutant gpp1 Delta gpp2 Delta pdc2 Delta overexpressing GPD1 accumulated 17 mg L-G3P/g dry weight during glucose batch fermentation under oxygen limitation. This value corresponds to an about 100-fold increase compared to that found in the wild type.

Genetic Enhancement↗