Science with Sam. Erika Sasaki of the Central Institute for Experimental Animals in Kawasaki, Japan, gave marmosets a jellyfish gene that made them glow green under UV light. Science & Environment, 08 Oct 08 |  Five small monkeys that glow green under ultraviolet light are providing a beacon for medical research. injected a virus, called lentivirus, into marmoset embryos. In a proof of principle experiment, a team at the Central Institute for Experimental Animals in Kawasaki, Japan, has added a gene to marmoset embryos that makes them glow green under ultraviolet light. Monkey embryos were injected with a jellyfish gene that makes animals glow green under ultra-violet light, allowing scientists to tell easily whether the foreign gene successfully combined with the monkey DNA. The researchers say that they successfully fertilised ordinary eggs with the transgenic sperm and that the resulting healthy offspring also expressed the green, fluorescent protein. “The world's first ‘glow in the dark’ monkeys could help in cure for diseases such as Parkinson's,” The Daily Telegraph has reported. In this study, the researchers introduced a jellyfish gene coding for a green fluorescent protein (GFP) into the DNA of marmoset monkey embryos. Researchers have added genes to rhesus macaques before, but the new work with marmosets is the first to document that monkeys can pass an inserted gene along to future generations. Now that researchers have mastered the technique, they hope to create transgenic monkeys that carry genes associated with such diseases as Parkinson's and Lou Gehrig's disease. Animals engineered in the laboratory to carry genetic material (DNA) from another species are known as transgenic. Marmosets have limitations as research models. For the study, published in Nature, a research team led by geneticist Erika Sasaki. The embryos were then transferred into surrogate females leading to five births. However, genetic regions implicated in Huntington's disease might not fit into a retrovirus. sentences or comments will be removed (Internet shouting). "This sort of research on animals as sentient as monkeys and apes does not have public support," he told BBC News. They then checked whether the embryos generated expressed the GFP gene. There are considerations that researchers need to take into account before establishing colonies of primate disease models, such as isolating primate colonies to prevent contamination with other research colonies and ensuring that the disease under study cannot be modelled in transgenic mice or other non-primates. These virus "vectors" were added to a soup of sugary solution and this was in turn injected into the monkey embryos. The male monkey’s sperm was successfully used to fertilise normal eggs, and the female marmoset was impregnated naturally. Future modifications could lead to treatments for a range of diseases. Many treatments for strokes work in monkeys but don't work in humans.". Future modifications could lead to treatments for a range of diseases. Such debate may need to address potential benefits, adherence to principles of animal welfare and discuss where pursuing this research might ultimately lead. This research was conducted by Dr Erika Sasaki and colleagues from the Central Institute for Experimental Animals, Kawasaki, in Japan. Capitalized Three monkeys miscarried and four gave birth to five transgenic offspring whose skin glowed green in UV light. While there are a number of potential benefits, there are some issues, both technical and ethical, that should be considered regarding this matter: Both genetic engineering and animal experimentation are controversial issues, and the implications of this work will need to be considered openly through rational public debate of the strengths and limitations of these technologies. Get unlimited access when you subscribe. The study was supported by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology along with other organisations in Japan. They used the sperm from a member of the first generation of transgenic marmosets to fertilise an egg from a normal animal. Mice have been particularly useful experimental models for studying a wide range of human diseases as modified genes are passed on from parents to progeny. The new method improves on previous work using so-called "retroviruses". “The mouse doesn’t give the answers to all the questions we need answered,” Mitalipov says. Primates more closely resemble humans in function and anatomy and are, therefore, more likely to provide relevant research results as experimental animals. Your email address is used to log in and will not be shared or sold. Though primates that make a glowing protein have been created before, these are the first to keep the change in their bloodlines. Menu Although the work demonstrates the principle that a gene can be introduced into a primate bloodline, study co-author Hideyuki Okano of the Keio University School of Medicine said it may not be suitable for studying all diseases. ANDi’s two stillborn siblings had their hair follicles and toenails glow green under UV light, but ANDi has not yet exhibited this feature. The researchers found that, of the monkeys implanted with transgenic embryos, seven became pregnant. “There are lots of diseases that can only be modeled in primates” [Science News]. The Guardian, 28 May 2009. Science & Environment, Central Instutute for Experimental Animals, Tourists flock to 'Jesus's tomb' in Kashmir. This was a laboratory study looking at whether it was possible to genetically engineer marmoset monkeys to carry a DNA from a foreign species, and then use these marmosets to breed healthy offspring that also carried this DNA. The teams behind this research have also achieved two important goals, both fully integrating a foreign gene into the DNA of monkeys and then successfully breeding these monkeys to produce healthy offspring that also carried this foreign gene. Meet NASA's latest Mars Rover: Will Perseverance find life in 2021? However, mice are not useful for some human diseases because they are not sufficiently similar to produce effects that are meaningful to human disease. Though primates that make a glowing protein have been created before, these are the first to keep the change in their bloodlines. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Scientists Warn This Isn't a Good Idea, Wild Chickens Rule the Streets in Some Beach Towns. between commenters. A sample of embryos that did express GFP was implanted into a surrogate mother, and the offspring were also checked for the GFP gene after birth. Of these, four gave birth, producing 1 male and 4 female marmosets that carried the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene. Sasaki then placed embryos carrying the gene into seven surrogate mothers. Genes implicated in Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, a form of motor neurone disease) may well be suitable. LifeSiteNews welcomes thoughtful, respectful comments that add useful information or insights. Just as mice have been made to glow in the dark by genetic modification of their genes inserting jellyfish genes during in vitro fertilization so too monkeys have been genetically modified. All Rights Reserved. However, the authors of this study say that, in many cases, the research results obtained in mice models cannot be directly applied to humans because of the many differences between mice and humans. The Daily Telegraph, 28 May 2009. Jarrod Bailey, science consultant to the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), says he is "disappointed" both ethically and scientifically with the results. Sasaki says that because they are primates the altered monkeys could provide better models than GM mice for studying human disease, particularly neurological conditions. The scientists have written their story in the journal Nature. The microbiome: How bacteria regulate your health. Simply by exposing transgenic monkeys to UV light the researchers could verify that the transgene was present in the monkeys, meaning that the experiment had worked. GLOW-IN-THE-DARK MONKEYS BY GENETIC MODIFICATION, Thousands demonstrate against France law that erases fathers from some…, Thousands demonstrate against France law that erases fathers from some children’s lineage, Barrett laments ‘cruel’ attacks that ‘are not only hurtful to me, but…, Barrett laments ‘cruel’ attacks that ‘are not only hurtful to me, but are hurtful to my…, Abby Johnson describes abortion’s brutality in letter to Senate…, Abby Johnson describes abortion’s brutality in letter to Senate supporting Amy Coney Barrett, Kamala Harris goes on long-winded rant about abortion at Barrett hearing. To engineer the “parents”, Sasaki injected monkey embryos with a virus carrying the gene for the green fluorescent protein. While this is an exciting prospect, it is also controversial, and will need public and scientific debate. See the reports in the Telegraph at:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=000142592815120&rtmo=gjVSl7wu&atmo=rrrrrrrq&pg=/et/01/1/12/wmonk112.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=000142592815120&rtmo=fslDaows&atmo=fslDaows&pg=/et/01/1/12/wmonk12.html, All Content Copyright 1997-2020 LifeSiteNews.com. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. The news comes from Japanese research into genetically modifying marmosets, a type of monkey that breeds rapidly. Last year, a team at Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, US, created rhesus macaque monkeys with Huntington's disease. The protein has become a standard in biology and genetic engineering, and its discovery even warranted a Nobel prize. But even though ANDi also carried the GFP gene, he didn’t glow green because the gene appeared not to be functioning. Scientists have managed to modify the genes of many living organisms in recent years, ranging from bacteria to mice. While other researchers had bred partially fluorescent pigs, these genetically modified pigs had not only glowing skin and eyes, but also organs, including the heart. Studying Biology in Real-Time, and In Situ, With a Fluorescent Beacon, Work With Fluorescent Jellyfish Protein Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Octopus Farms Could Become a Reality. Later, when the male baby was sexually mature, he successfully fathered a single offspring which also glowed green, showing that it had inherited the GFP gene. That limitation is about 10,000 bases, or letters, of the genetic code. A number of these embryos grew into monkeys that glowed under UV light, and these, in turn, were bred with regular monkeys. At present, there are ethical, legal and regulatory guidelines regarding use of animals in research, and review of these will doubtlessly be needed as this technology advances. The researchers explain that, although several attempts have been made to produce non-human transgenic primates, it has not been conclusively shown that these transplanted genes are expressed in live infant primates. "; Copyright © 2020 BBC. The GFP gene was used because under UV light the protein it produces in the body glows an intense fluorescent green. This may mean that this technique could only be used to create models of genetic conditions involving a single, small gene but not those conditions involving multiple genes or larger genes. Related Content: 80beats: Studying Biology in Real-Time, and In Situ, With a Fluorescent Beacon 80beats: Work With Fluorescent Jellyfish Protein Wins Nobel Prize in ChemistryImage: E.Sasaki et al, Humankind’s Origins, Medical Mysteries and Robots: Check Out These Must-Read Science Books, Grain-Free Diets Have Been Linked to Serious Heart Problems in Dogs.

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