Scientists Create Mouse Using Genes from a Microorganism
- Feb 14
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 2
Student summary by Hayden Byun
Abstract
Background: Scientists believed that the special genes needed to make stem cells could only be found in animals. A researcher named Shinya Yamanaka first discovered how to reprogram cells using four genes. Until recently, it was assumed that these genes were only found in animals.
Objective: The scientists wanted to achieve functional mouse stem cells using genes from a single-celled life form. Their goal was to find out if stem cell genes from a single-celled organism called a choanoflagellate could do the same job as modern stem cell genes in animals.
Method: In 2022, a study author named Alex de Mendoza examined the genomes of unicellular species with more available data and found versions of the genes noted by Yamanaka, specifically two genes. De Mendoza and his colleagues scanned through sequences of 22 choanoflagellate species and found versions of two key stem cell genes. Then, scientists replaced the Sox2 gene in mice with the version from the choanoflagellate and injected the modified cells into mouse embryos.
Results: The experiment turned out to be successful. The mice grew and developed normally but also had characteristics from the lab-made stem cells, such as dark eyes and black fur patches. However, the other gene did not work, suggesting that it required evolutionary changes.
Conclusion: This study is an influential breakthrough for the future of science because it shows that some molecular tools from unicellular organisms can serve the same purpose as genes from animals themselves. Knowing this, scientists may be able to develop more advanced stem cell tools in the future.
