ABSTRACT
Preparation of recombinant proteins for biochemical studies or for biomedical use is one of the successes of biotechnology. In this respect, mouse and rabbit milk may be of some predictive value, although a certain number of data indicate that mammary gland from rodents, pig and small ruminants may have different capacity to proceed to the post-translational modifications. Lactating rabbits provide to their offspring daily more than 200 ml of milk which is very rich in proteins. In case a pharmaceutical protein has to be produced in quantity not larger than one kilogram per year the use of transgenic rabbits may be envisaged at an industrial scale. The milk released from the transgenic mice after incubation of the isolated mammary gland was used to induce milk synthesis in isolated rabbit mammary cells in culture. In practice, lactating mice at any stage of lactation are separated from their offspring for one to 24 hours to favour milk accumulation in the mammary gland.
