Re: FW: Obesity in mice offers proof of cloning's unpredictability

From: Damien Broderick (d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Sat Mar 02 2002 - 19:41:20 MST


At 09:03 AM 3/1/02 -0800, Robert wrote:

>Actually I think Harvey misses one of the main problems with cloning.
>The process doesn't get gene imprinting right.

I'm speaking in ignorance of the details, as usual, but this seems
fallacious. The reset totipotent diploid nucleus would *already* be
imprinted, surely, and by both parents, from the original conception? Or
are you arguing that the resetting process strips off the imprint markers
(which must happen to standard haploid germ cells)?

>The genes known to be imprinted include Insulin-Like-Growth-Factor-1,
>I believe, so it isn't surprising that in cloned animals
>could have problems with obesity.

IGF-1 would be more likely to promote bone and lean muscle growth, no?

Damien Broderick



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