The first genetically modified marsupial was successfully bred

Researchers at the Biosystem Dynamics Research Center of rikirken, Rikirchein, Japan, genetically engineered the first genetically modified marsupial, the possum. The paper, published recently in the journal Contemporary Biology, will help decipher the unique genetic information observed only in marsupials.

Genetically modified animals, especially mice and rats, are extremely important objects for studying the process of biological development. Marsupials have unique characteristics, and possums are considered the ancestor of all marsupials and the first marsupials to complete whole genome sequencing. Possums are similar in size and reproductive characteristics to mice and rats, so they are by far the best animal model of choice.

The pups of the possum are unable to fully develop in the mother's body, so they are veritable "premature babies". Possums are also the only experimental animals known to develop malignant melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer, after UV radiation. Unlike other mammals, newborn possum pups have the ability to heal naturally after spinal cord injury. Because of these unique features, the study of marsupial organisms is gaining more and more attention. However, it is difficult to genetically analyze marsupials without mature techniques. Now, BDR's team is using new gene-editing techniques to advance research on opossums.

Usually, the solution required for genome editing is injected into the fertilized egg with a fine needle. The opossum's fertilized eggs are surrounded by thick layers of protein and a hard shell-like structure that the injection needle cannot penetrate. "We used piezoelectric elements with needles to allow the needles to penetrate the hard shell and thick layers around the fertilized egg, and there was no significant damage to the fertilized egg," the researchers said. ”

The researchers successfully obtained the cubs by transplanting the injected fertilized eggs into the womb of a fertile female possum. This is the first embryo transfer technique to be performed on a marsupial.

To confirm the holistic approach, the researchers targeted a gene responsible for making body pigments. When the gene is destroyed, melanin cannot be produced, and the skin hair is white, that is, albinism is developed. In this experiment, some of the offspring of possums developed albinism, and the gene can be passed on to the next generation. Thus, this is the first successful gene editing of marsupials.

Now that this process is established, researchers can answer more questions about marsupial biology. "Marsupials are one of the 3 extant mammalian subclasses and have unique features that many other mammals do not have. Future research could create genetically modified marsupials that will affect mammalian embryology, genomic imprinting, reproduction, neurobiology, immunogenetics, cancer biology, and even comparative evolution. The researchers said. (Intern reporter Zhang Jiaxin)

Source: Science and Technology Daily