Mice with Two Fathers Successfully Reproduce in Breakthrough Study

A recent study has shown that mice with two fathers and no mother have successfully reproduced, marking a significant breakthrough in androgenesis – a form of asexual reproduction using only genetic material from male animals.

Previous experiments in androgenesis with mice have been conducted in the lab, resulting in offspring that were infertile and unable to reproduce. However, a team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China has now achieved a major milestone by producing fertile offspring using genetic material from two male mice.

The key to this success lies in editing specific imprinting control regions (ICRs), which are sequences of DNA that regulate gene expression. In a typical mix of male and female genes, these ICRs ensure a healthy balance of genetic coding. When only genetic material from one parent is used, the ICR coding becomes disrupted, leading to severe embryo issues and death. By precisely editing these ICRs, researchers were able to reprogram them and enable the development of androgenetic embryos.

Using sperm from two male mice injected into eggs with the female DNA removed, the researchers edited seven specific ICRs known to have severe consequences if abnormal. Despite a low success rate of three live mouse births out of 259 implanted blastocysts, two of the offspring survived to adulthood and were able to reproduce normally, producing healthy mouse pups.

While the process is still challenging and has a long way to go before potential applications in human embryos, the study marks a significant step forward in understanding androgenesis in mammals. The research, published in PNAS, holds promise for advancements in fertility treatments and the study of congenital disorders.

Although the efficiency of the current techniques is low, the researchers believe that this discovery is a crucial step towards achieving mammalian androgenesis.

Source: PNAS