Three Person Baby Through ProNuclear Transfer

 

       In this clinical trial Dr. Pavlo Mazur creates a type of "three person baby" through Pro Nuclear Transfer. The reasoning behind this is some peoples embryos have a deficiency in their mitochondrial DNA genes. The defect in these genes result in a loss of energy from the gene which causes a loss or inability of pregnancy. Through Pro Nuclear Transfer Dr. Mazur transfers all the DNA from one embryo except for the Mitochondrial DNA genes into the other embryo. Thus making the other embryo contain all the genes from the original parent. Except for the genes that prevented the original parent from being able to become pregnant. The fertilized embryo is then injected into the women womb who wants to carry the baby. The clinic so far has only had a mild success rate in this procedure, coming mainly from younger women. However this is still a huge step for the medical community. Although it might take a while to clear ethical boards in the Untied States. This particular trial took place in Ukraine. (Stein)

Source: Stein, Rob. “Clinic Claims Success In Making Babies With 3 Parents' DNA.” NPR, NPR, 6 June 2018, www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/06/06/615909572/inside-the-ukrainian-clinic-making-3-parent-babies-for-women-who-are-infertile.  

Links: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/06/06/615909572/inside-the-ukrainian-clinic-making-3-parent-babies-for-women-who-are-infertile

https://www.sciencealert.com/world-first-in-ukraine-as-three-parent-baby-born-to-an-infertile-couple

I Got It From My Mama - or Maybe a Protist?

In a new study from the University of Cambridge , researchers are finding that not all human genes are ancestrally inherited. While there is no doubt that bacteria partake in horizontal gene transfer, it's been thought that complex animals only receive their genes from their parents. This new study, however, challenges the established idea that there is no horizontal gene transfer in more highly developed animals. In the study, the genomes of four nematode species, twelve fruit fly species, and ten primate species (including humans) were examined and then compared with that of the other species. The researchers then estimated how long ago the similar genes were acquired, and how likely it was that these genes were foreign in origin. Almost 150 human genes were identified as foreign, and thus acquired through horizontal gene transfer, and nearly all of them related to enzymes involved in metabolism. Along with identification, the researches were also able to determine where the genes most likely came from, finding that most of the genes were transferred from bacteria and protists, while some were from viruses and fungi. While some of the other species involved in this study continue to receive genes from outside sources, it's likely that humans and other primates haven't procured genes through horizontal transfer since the common ancestor species  - probably around 5-8 million years ago. The researchers of this study hope that their findings lead to a better understanding of the genomes of complex animals, and hope that bacterial sequences in DNA shouldn't always be written off as bacterial contamination in genomic studies.

Original Insertion Location of HIV Virus Can Effect Its Virulence

        The HIV virus spreads by entering the human bloodstream, binding and invading human immune cells, and reprogramming the seized cells to create more HIV particles. The HIV protein integrase assists this attack on the human body by recognizing a short DNA segment and organizes the insertion of the viral DNA into its host DNA. The retroviral integrase can insert viral DNA into several places in human DNA.

        Researchers from KU Leuven, University of Leuven in Leuven, Belgium, have recently discovered how the virus selects its insertion points; the answer lies in two amino acids. First author of the study, Doctoral researcher Jonas Demeulemeester, said, "HIV integrase is made up of a chain of more than 200 amino acids folded into a structure. By modelling this structure, we found two positions in the protein that make direct contact with the DNA of the host. These two amino acids determine the integration site. This is not only the case for HIV, but also for related animal-borne viruses.
        The second part of the study consisted of manipulating the integration site choice of HIV. "We changed the specific HIV integrase amino acids for those of animal-borne viruses and found that the viral DNA integrated in the host DNA at locations where the animal-borne virus normally would have done so. We also showed that HIV integrases can vary. Sometimes different amino acids appeared in the two positions we identified. These variant viruses also integrate into the host DNA at a different site than the normal virus does," Professor Rik Gijsbers explained, summing up the second half of the study. In the end, they discovered that the disease progressed more quickly when the integration site was changed.

In this picture, the HIV protein integrase is blue and the viral DNA is red. The orange part at the bottom is the DNA of the human host.

        I have not known anybody with HIV, but I know it is a terrible illness to be diagnosed with. This discovery leaves room for new therapies and treatments to possibly be developed. This newly found integration site can be possibly manipulated, protected, or re-targeted. Researching the results of this study will be beneficial and I believe we can uncover more secrets of the HIV virus. It could lead to the reduction of the progression of HIV in a human being, or possibly even stop the disease from invading and reprogramming human cells in the first place.

Main Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141112132103.htm
Related Article: http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/hiv-protein-can-guide-viral-dna-to-opportune-host-dna-landing-site/81250595/