Kaguya
Encyclopedia
Kaguya was a mouse
that had two parents of the same sex (circa
April, 2004). She was named after a Japan
ese folk tale, in which the moon-born princess Kaguya (Kaguya-hime
) is found as a baby inside a bamboo stalk.
s. The researchers led by Tomohiro Kono at the Tokyo University of Agriculture
used cells from two different female mice and combined them to make a single unique animal. Normally this would not be possible due to genetic imprinting requiring some genes be inherited from the father for normal placental development. They were able to succeed by using one egg from an immature parent, thus reducing maternal imprinting, and modifying it to express the gene Igf2
, which is normally only expressed by the paternal copy of the gene. Even with this, only two of 457 eggs developed to maturity.
d animal because cells from two individuals are used. The research refers to the process as Parthenogenesis
"The goal of our study was to discover why sperm and eggs were required for development in mammals," Kono said.
Kaguya the mouse later gave birth to conventionally fathered offspring.
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
that had two parents of the same sex (circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
April, 2004). She was named after a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese folk tale, in which the moon-born princess Kaguya (Kaguya-hime
The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter
, also known as , is a 10th century Japanese folktale. It is considered the oldest extant Japanese narrative and an early example of proto-science fiction....
) is found as a baby inside a bamboo stalk.
The process of "parthenogenesis"
A process called haploidisation is used to remove one of the two sets of chromosomes from some cells leaving them with only one, just like normal gameteGamete
A gamete is a cell that fuses with another cell during fertilization in organisms that reproduce sexually...
s. The researchers led by Tomohiro Kono at the Tokyo University of Agriculture
Tokyo University of Agriculture
The , abbreviated as Nodai or Tokyo nodai , is a private university which treats agriculture in Japan.The campus is in three places, Setagaya, Atsugi, and Okhotsk .- Outline :...
used cells from two different female mice and combined them to make a single unique animal. Normally this would not be possible due to genetic imprinting requiring some genes be inherited from the father for normal placental development. They were able to succeed by using one egg from an immature parent, thus reducing maternal imprinting, and modifying it to express the gene Igf2
Insulin-like growth factor 2
Insulin-like growth factor 2 is one of three protein hormones that share structural similarity to insulin.-Gene structure:In humans, the IGF2 gene is located on chromosome 11p15.5, a region which contains numerous imprinted genes. In mice this homologous region is found at distal chromosome 7...
, which is normally only expressed by the paternal copy of the gene. Even with this, only two of 457 eggs developed to maturity.
Not a clone
This is not a cloneCloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
d animal because cells from two individuals are used. The research refers to the process as Parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction found in females, where growth and development of embryos occur without fertilization by a male...
"The goal of our study was to discover why sperm and eggs were required for development in mammals," Kono said.
Kaguya the mouse later gave birth to conventionally fathered offspring.
External links
- NewScientist story on Kaguya.
- National Geographic story