Question

Transfected cells often grow and divide more slowly than non-transfected cells. Why?

Answer 1

Transfection is known as the biological phenomenon in which nucleic acid transfer takes place to eukaryotic cells. This process is generally followed for recombination of the target eukaryotic cells so that a requisite type of gene or set of genes might be expressed in the target/host cells. However, the transfected cells do not undergo rapid cellular division after transfection unlike normal cells.

This is because the transfected cells require to uptake the foreign DNA and incorporate it into their genome. Usually, the cellular nucleases tend to digest the foreign DNA or nucleic acids as soon as they enter the host cells. Systems are modulated in a way so that these nucleases are supressed in the host cells or the foreign nucleic acid is modifed in a way that they are protected from the nucleases. Thus, this protection of foreign nucleic acid from host nucleases takes time followed by their incorporation into the host genome. Thus, the rapid cellular division is slowed down in transfected cells.