BIOLOGY: Glow in the dark bunnies

From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Fri Aug 02 2002 - 13:08:05 MDT


This is great!

Ueda, et al, reports in Nature --
Nature 418:534-539 (2002);
A transcription factor response element for gene expression
during circadian night
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v418/n6897/full/nature00906_fs.html

that the DNA sequence "AGGTCA", to which Rev-ErbA/ROR response elements
bind appears to be the key regulatory sequence for circadian gene
expression (> 100 genes in the SCN and > 390 genes in the liver).

So following their example of gene constructs that are regulated
by the circadian gene expression patterns, we should be able to
develop a bunny that only glows in the dark.

By day an energy conserving pet. By night an accident reducing
human assistive device (when taken for nightly walks).

Shouldn't there be one or more organizations that would be
slightly disconcerted by the release of mating pairs of glow in
the dark bunnies in the general vicinity of their corporate HQ?

Lets see, if we spin this right, the anti-GM folks will be
screaming that all GM bunnies should be infertile, while
the animal rights folks are screaming that all bunnies have
the right to procreate.

Onward!
Robert



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