Researchers from the University of Melbourne and the University of Texas extracted genes from the extinct Thylacine (or Tasmanian Tiger) and inserted it into a mouse, observing the first use of DNA from an extinct species, to cause a response in a living specimen.
The Col2a1 gene was isolated from 100 year old specimens of ethanol-fixed Thylacines, and inserted into mouse embryos, after it was theorised that the two animals both had similarly-functioning Col2a1 genes. This Thylacine gene caused normal growth within the embryo’s developing cartilage skeleton, to later form bone. The growth caused by this bizarre transgenesis is shown in blue.
“This is the first time that DNA from an extinct species has been used to induce a functional response in another living organism,” said Dr Andrew Pask, RD Wright Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Department of Zoology who led the research.
“As more and more species of animals become extinct, we are continuing to lose critical knowledge of gene function and their potential.”
“Up until now we have only been able to examine gene sequences from extinct animals. This research was developed to go one step further to examine extinct gene function in a whole organism,” he said.
Although this research was published in 2008, I thought some people might not have heard about it or seen the images!
The labelled images above are explained below:
(a) Diagram of transgene construct. 4 copies of a 264-bp fragment containing the Thylacine Col2a1 enhancer (TcyCol2a1) region was ligated to the human b-globin minimal promoter (black box) and ligated to lacZpA. (b—e) X-gal stained 14.5 dpc TcyCol2a1-lacZpA transgenic mouse embryo showing varying levels of reporter gene expression within the developing cartilage (blue). (f) Non-transgenic littermate, negative control fetus. (g) Top panel; Magnified image of forelimb from fetus in (b) black line indicates the plane of section shown in (g) bottom panel. Bottom panel; Histological section of transgenic forelimb digit, showing lacZ-expressing chondrogenic tissue (blue) counterstained with eosin (pink). (Credit: Pask AJ, Behringer RR, Renfree MB, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002240.g003)
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