A team of Chinese researchers has successfully created a mouse with two male parents, defying the natural biology that typically requires a female mother for reproduction. The breakthrough, led by molecular biologist Zhi-kun Li from the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), used precise stem cell engineering to overcome the genetic hurdles that have long prevented similar experiments.
While scientists have previously attempted to generate eggs from male stem cells, those efforts were unsuccessful. However, the Chinese team has now cracked the code, successfully creating a mouse that not only survived but thrived, despite being born through a female surrogate.
The new approach has shown promise, with around 13% of embryos producing live offspring in contrast to the Japan-based researchers who reported just 1.1%. Notably, the healthy mice are sterile and unable to reproduce themselves, highlighting areas for improvement in the technique.
According to Zhi-kun Li, the study’s findings have significant implications for understanding human congenital disorders caused by similar genetic issues. The unique characteristics of imprinting genes, which regulate gene expression based on parental contributions, pose a fundamental barrier to unisexual reproduction in mammals.
The breakthrough also sheds light on the differences between egg and sperm development, with mature sperm cells being highly specialized and unable to divide into other cells. By creating an “egg-like” cell from male embryonic stem cells, researchers were able to overcome this limitation and create healthy bi-paternal mice.
Further modifications to the technique could potentially enable the creation of fertile bi-paternal mice, offering new therapeutic strategies for imprinting-related diseases. With this study published in Cell Stem Cell, scientists are optimistic that the next breakthroughs will be just around the corner.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/mouse-created-with-two-fathers-and-no-mother-survives-to-adulthood