Mice without a father

2004/07/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Genetika

The embryos of mice have been developed without males in Japan. For this they have combined eggs of two females. One of them was a simple oculus and the other a genetically modified immature oculum.

Although they are able to reproduce without plants, insects, etc., until now they have not been able to do so in mammals. This process is known as partenogesis and it seems that an adequate mixture of genetic material of males and females is needed to form embryo pups. Males and females have the same genetic groups, but to express them they have different patterns, and sometimes the assets are inactive in others. Scientists say they have been able to model the gene action of sperm by genetic modification of an egg.

However, the experiment has not been so successful. In fact, out of 460 trials, only ten young children have obtained, of which only one has reached maturity.