Endangered species conservation through cloning!
Ever since the successful cloning of the first mammal ten years ago (Dolly the sheep) it has been clear that reproductive cloning has potential applications in future research and animal breeding (Trounson, 2006). One possible direction for this technology is in the conservation of endangered species.
In 2001 the first successful surviving clone of an endangered species was born. The animal was a European mouflon (Ovis orientalis musimon), a rare breed of wild sheep whose populations were declining. The lamb was cloned using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), which was the same technique used to produce Dolly. Although, this time two species of sheep were used to produce the lamb, the mouflon to be cloned and the closely related common domestic sheep (Ovis aries) which acted as the surrogate mother (Loi, 2001).
In 2001 the first successful surviving clone of an endangered species was born. The animal was a European mouflon (Ovis orientalis musimon), a rare breed of wild sheep whose populations were declining. The lamb was cloned using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), which was the same technique used to produce Dolly. Although, this time two species of sheep were used to produce the lamb, the mouflon to be cloned and the closely related common domestic sheep (Ovis aries) which acted as the surrogate mother (Loi, 2001).
Enucleated sheep oocytes from domestic sheep, were injected with granulose cells recovered from the ovary of a deceased female mouflon and transferred into four cycling ewes (O. aries) of which one continued to term and gave birth to the female mouflon. The cloned lamb, which was phenotypically mouflon, is thought to be some what of a hybrid containing genomic DNA from the endangered mouflon and mitochondrial DNA from the domestic sheep (Loi, 2001).
This research demonstrates the possible use of such cloning techniques in conserving endangered species by using closely related domestic species as egg donors or as surrogate mothers (Briggs, 2001). However, a number of problems are associated with this technology with as few as 1-2% of cloned embryos developing into viable offspring. However, the reason for this high failure rate is uncertain, although it is suggested that incomplete reprogramming of differentiated nucleuses is one of the major constraints (Loi, 2001).
This research demonstrates the possible use of such cloning techniques in conserving endangered species by using closely related domestic species as egg donors or as surrogate mothers (Briggs, 2001). However, a number of problems are associated with this technology with as few as 1-2% of cloned embryos developing into viable offspring. However, the reason for this high failure rate is uncertain, although it is suggested that incomplete reprogramming of differentiated nucleuses is one of the major constraints (Loi, 2001).
Lucy Ducat
Student number : 41396760
Primary reference:
Loi, P., Ptak, G., Barboni, B., Fulka, J., Cappal, P., Clinton, M., 2001. Genetic rescue of endangered mammal by cross-species nuclear transfer using post-mortem somatic cells. Nature
biotechnology journal 19, 962-964.
Secondary references:
Trounson, A.O., 2006. Future and applications of cloning. Methods molecular biology journal 348.
Briggs, H., 2001. Endangered sheep cloned. BBC News Online; October 2001.
Pecorino, L., 2000. Animal cloning: Old Macdonald's farm is not what it used to be. An actionbioscience.org original article
