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A human gene injected into the brains of the monkeys not only made them bigger, but it also increased neuronal function, making the animals more human.
Marmoset brains are much smaller and smoother than human brains, and during evolution the neocortex of our brain has “bent” to form the wrinkled appearance, which allows for a larger area of the neocortex in the brain. the restricted space of the human skull.
A human gene was injected into the fetuses of seven common marmosets, and these genetically engineered creatures showed signs of brain expansion. In addition, monkey brains formed wrinkled grooves, like what is seen in the human brain, and the number of neurons in the neocortex increased sharply.
Parts of the brain. (Visanji, Naomi P., Patricia L. Brooks, Lili-Naz Hazrati and Anthony E. Lang / CC BY 2.5 )
Science without pop culture, please
The gene, called ARHGAP11B, controls conscious thought, reasoning, and language, and after injection into the monkey brain, it triggered the growth of more stem cells, resulting in enlarged brain. According to sensationalist media, like the Daily mail in this case, these experiences are “reminiscent of recent ‘Planet of the Apes’ films, where genetically modified primates wage war on humanity. But for those of you who don’t need pop-cultural Hollywood references to your science, read on …
A new study has been published in the journal Science by Principal Investigator Professor Michael Heide of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics ( MPI-CBG) working with researchers from the Central Institute of Experimental Animals ( CIEA) to Kawasaki and the Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. The laboratory of Japanese researcher Hideyuki Okano at RIKEN The Center for Brain Science was the first to produce germline-transmitted (GT) transgenic marmosets. This means that he pioneered the development of a technology to generate non-human transgenic primates.
Microscopic image of a section through a cerebral hemisphere of a 101 day old ARHGAP11B transgenic marmoset fetus. Cell nuclei are visualized by DAPI (white). The arrows note a new fold on the monkey’s brain. (Heide et al. / MPI-CBG)
The great brained apes that never existed
GT is the time when embryonic stem cells contribute to a mammal’s reproductive cells (germ cells) and are transmitted genetically to its offspring. However, in this experiment GT was not necessary because the transgenic marmoset fetuses were not born. Okano said the seven marmoset fetuses were all “in utero” (inside the womb) and were removed by Caesarean section for analysis on day 102 of pregnancy.
The neocortex of the common marmoset’s brain has been observed to “grow larger and the surface of the brain folded back”. In addition, the team also noted an increase in the number of upper layer neurons that increase with the evolution of primates.
This new monkey brain injection test was born from the 2015 experiment in which a single gene was inserted into the brain of a mouse that enlarged the neocortex and caused many other neurons to form. This revealed that the ARHGAP11B gene has a huge impact on brain development and increased functionality. Marta Florio from MPI-CBG said LiveScience back when it was “too cool” to find out that a small gene affects the stem cell phenotype and widens the neocortex.
Wild-type (normal) and ARHGAP11B transgenic (101 days) marmoset brains. Yellow lines, boundaries of the cerebral cortex; white lines, development of the cerebellum; arrowheads, folds. Scale bars, 1 mm. (Heide et al. / MPI-CBG)
The bizarre future of gene editing
Much like cell phones and space travel, the whole concept of tinkering with human genes that we pass on to our children has long been reserved for science fiction. But today, teams of scientists are rapidly solving technological barriers, and breakthroughs are underway in the treatment of conditions ranging from heart disease to Alzheimer’s disease. The same technologies used to “modify human genes” are also used in animals, which, according to National Geographic , can be applied in the protection of endangered species like the Tasmanian devil.
Gene editing will ultimately bring back extinct animal species by mixing genes collected from the DNA of extinct species into existing genes. Leading the charge in all this controversial field of study is The Long Now Foundation , who boldly claim that they will “bring back the woolly mammoth.”
According to the bioethicist R. Alta Charo of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the “désextinction” could be used to resurrect the features lost in the commercial selection, allowing scientists’ mix or create new species on a shot head ”and in our future says billionaires might one day give their 12-year-old daughters“ real unicorns ”for their birthday. Or maybe now, some smart kids doing their homework while they watch Planet of the Apes on a screen thinking it could never happen in real life.
Top image: It’s a marmoset. Scientists have spliced one of our genes in their monkey brains. Source: Leszek Leszczynski / CC BY 2.0
By Ashley Cowie
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