Mouse Created Using Gene Older Than Animal Life

Scientists have created a hybrid mouse by incorporating a gene that predates all animal life. In this groundbreaking study, the team replaced a single gene in the mouse stem cells with one from an ancient, single-celled ancestor and successfully grew healthy mice from it.

Stem cells are known for their ability to differentiate into various cell types. In 2006, Japanese scientists discovered how to reprogram mature cells into stem cells, known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This breakthrough has opened doors to potential regenerative therapies.

The original team found that iPSCs could be created by modifying just four genes, now known as Yamanaka factors. In this new study, researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the University of Hong Kong replaced one of these genes in the mouse with a much older version from choanoflagellates, single-celled organisms that are the closest relatives to the ancestors of animals.

Although choanoflagellates do not use stem cells, they possess some of the same genes that animals use for stem cell functions. The researchers wanted to test whether these ancient genes could serve the same purpose in modern stem cells.

Researchers Create Hybrid Mouse iPSCs by Replacing Sox2 with Ancient Gene from Choanoflagellates

To begin, the researchers created mouse iPSCs using the standard method, with one modification: they swapped out Sox2, one of the Yamanaka factors, with the corresponding gene from choanoflagellates. These “hybrid” iPSCs were then injected into a developing mouse embryo.

To confirm the success of the experiment, the researchers engineered the iPSCs to produce distinct traits, such as dark eyes and black fur patches. As a result, the mouse that developed from the embryo was a chimera, showing these traits alongside those from the original embryo.

This remarkable finding demonstrates that the genes responsible for stem cell functions were likely in use long before stem cells were first discovered. The researchers suggest that choanoflagellates may have originally used these genes to regulate basic cellular functions, and that multicellular organisms later adapted them for stem cell purposes.

“By creating a mouse using genes from our single-celled relatives, we observe an extraordinary continuity of function across nearly a billion years of evolution,” said Alex de Mendoza, the study’s corresponding author. “Our study suggests that genes crucial to stem cell formation may have originated long before stem cells themselves, possibly paving the way for the emergence of multicellular life.”

The researchers believe this discovery could contribute to advancements in regenerative medicine.

Read Original Article: New Atlas

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