pigs expressing salivary phytase produce low-phosphorus manure.pdf

http://biotech. ? AUGUST 2001 ? VOLUME 19 ? nature biotechnology Pigs expressing salivary phytase produce low-phosphorus manure Serguei P. Golovan 1,2, Roy G. Meidinger 2, Ayodele Ajakaiye 3, Michael Cottrill 1, Miles Z. Wiederkehr 4 , David J. Barney 4 , Claire Plante 5, John W. Pollard 5, Ming Z. Fan 3, M. Anthony Hayes 6 , Jesper Laursen 7,8 , J. Peter Hjorth 7, Roger R. Hacker 3, John P. Phillips 2,*, and Cecil W. Forsberg 1, * To address the problem of manure-based environmental pollution in the pork industry, we have developed the phytase transgenic saliva of these pigs contains the enzyme phytase, which allows the pigs to digest the phosphorus in phytate, the most abundant source of phosphorus in the pig diet. Without this enzyme, phytate phosphorus passes undigested into manure to e the single most important manure pollutant of pork production. We show here that salivary phytase provides plete digestion of dietary phytate phosphorus, relieves the requirement for anic phosphate supplements, and reduces fecal phos- phorus output by up to 75%.These pigs offer a unique biological approach to the management of phosphorus nutrition and environmental pollution in the pork industry. R ESEARCH ARTICLE The main challenge for agriculture in this century is to sustain and increase food production without degrading the environment agric