BEIJING, Jan. 25 - China on Thursday announced it successfully cloned world' s first macaques from somatic cells by method that made Dolly. It makes research with customizable populations of genetically uniform monkeys a possibility.
The two cloned macaques, named Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua, were produced at the non-human-primate research facility under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) at the end of 2017. A third is due this month and more this year, said scientists.
The initial research was published on the website of the scientific journal, Cell.
Since Dolly the sheep was successfully cloned from an adult cell in 1997, other mammals have also been cloned, but macaques, which are closely related to humans, have been a challenge.
Sun Qiang, director of the CAS non-human-primate research facility, led a group of researchers for three years to overcome the biological difficulties.
Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua are the product of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the technique used to create Dolly the sheep over 20 years ago.
Researchers edited genes in vitro and accurately sifted and produced somatic cells with the same genotype. They removed the nucleus from an egg cell and replaced it with another nucleus from differentiated body cells.
The reconstructed eggs produced embryos, which were put into the wombs of surrogate female monkeys, producing a group of cloned monkeys with the same genetic background.
The first author Liu Zhen, a postdoctoral fellow, spent three years practicing and optimizing the SCNT procedure. He tested various methods to quickly and precisely remove the nuclear materials from the egg cell and promote the fusion of the nucleus-donor cell and enucleated egg.
"The SCNT procedure is rather delicate, so the faster you do it, the less damage to the egg you have, and Dr. Liu has a green thumb for doing this," said Sun.
This success means China will pioneer in disease and brain science research by taking cloned macaques as animal models, said Muming Poo, a co-author on the study who directs the Institute of Neuroscience of CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology.
"This is a key development in studying primate biology and making models of non-human primates," said Bai Chunli, president of the CAS.
The models designed for brain diseases will shed light on their study, intervention and even treatments.
9句狠话教你怎么用英语让人“滚开”
英语口语主题:交际英语热门话题47个(2--介绍)
2011年实用口语练习:“锅中的火花”
男生女生:我们可以只当朋友吗?
口语情景对话:走遍美国精选 当仁不让 ACT 3 - 2
2011年实用口语练习:5=击掌?
2011年实用口语练习:遮人耳目
2011年实用口语练习:歉意如何说出口 1
如何用英文表达“满意”
2011年实用口语练习:高铁开通了
如何用英语表达“你得减肥了”
2011年实用口语练习:Assignment 家庭作业
实用口语:Singing With Friends
2011年实用口语练习:今天我做东
实用口语情景轻松学:有假钞的时候要送到银行去
英语口语-商业信函用语引言
如何用英文表达“欣赏,感激”
趣味英语:搭讪十大妙招
大运会必备接待口语
2011年实用口语练习:口语当中的ball
英语口语:怎样放“狠话”让对方离你远点
英语口语主题:交际英语热门话题47个(6--闲聊)
实用口语情景轻松学:您要的早餐送上来了
2011年实用口语练习:取钱那些事
实用口语:就餐 Dining
实用口语情景轻松学:国外理发店实用对话
英语口语-安慰
如何用英文表达“我不太想做某事”
英语口语主题:交际英语热门话题47个(3--邀请)
实用口语情景轻松学:我怀疑我是否能及格
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |