Technology used to build and transfer mammalian chromosomes

• Published in: Experimental cell research Vol. 388; no. 2; p. 111851
• Main Authors: Brown, David M., Glass, John I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 15.03.2020
• Subjects: Human artificial chromosome (HAC); Mammalian artificial chromosome (MAC); Microcell mediated chromosome transfer (MMCT); Transformational-associated recombination (TAR) cloning; Yeast spheroplast fusion; Microcell mediated chromosome transfer (MMCT); Yeast spheroplast fusion; Mammalian artificial chromosome (MAC); Human artificial chromosome (HAC); Transformational-associated recombination (TAR) cloning
• ISSN: 0014-4827; 1090-2422
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.111851

In the near twenty-year existence of the human and mammalian artificial chromosome field, the technologies for artificial chromosome construction and installation into desired cell types or organisms have evolved with the rest of modern molecular and synthetic biology. Medical, industrial, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and basic research scientists seek the as yet unrealized promise of human and mammalian artificial chromosomes. Existing technologies for both top-down and bottom-up approaches to construct these artificial chromosomes for use in higher eukaryotes are very different but aspire to achieve similar results. New capacity for production of chromosome sized synthetic DNA will likely shift the field towards more bottom-up approaches, but not completely. Similarly, new approaches to install human and mammalian artificial chromosomes in target cells will compete with the microcell mediated cell transfer methods that currently dominate the field.