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A human gene injected into the monkeys’ brains not only made them larger, but also increased the function of neurons, making the animals more human.
Marmoset brains are much smaller and smoother than the human brain and during evolution the neocortex of our brain has “folded” to form the wrinkled appearance, allowing more surface area of the neocortex in the confined space of the human skull.
A human gene was injected into the fetuses of seven common marmosets, and these genetically modified creatures showed signs of brain expansion. Furthermore, the monkey brains have formed wrinkled furrows, like the one seen in the human brain, and the number of neurons in the neocortex has increased dramatically.
Parts of the brain. (Visanji, Naomi P., Patricia L. Brooks, Lili-Naz Hazrati and Anthony E. Lang / CC BY 2.5 )
Science without pop culture, please
The gene, called ARHGAP11B, controls conscious thinking, reasoning, and language and, upon injection into the monkey brains, triggered the growth of more stem cells, which resulted in an enlarged brain. According to sensationalist media, such as the Daily mail in this case, these experiments are “evocative of the recent” Planet of the Apes “films, where genetically modified primates wage war on humanity.” But for those of you who don’t need Hollywood pop culture references with your own science, read on …
A new study was published in the journal Science by lead researcher, Professor Michael Heide, of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics ( MPI-CBG) in collaboration with researchers from the Central Institute for Experimental Animals ( CIEA) in Kawasaki and in Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. The laboratory of the Japanese researcher Hideyuki Okano al RIKEN The Center for Brain Science was the first to produce transgenic marmosets with germline transmission (GT). This means that he pioneered the development of a technology to generate transgenic non-human primates.
Microscope image of a section through a cerebral hemisphere of a 101-day-old ARHGAP11B transgenic marmoset fetus. Cell nuclei are visualized by DAPI (white). The arrows notice a new crease on the monkey’s brain. (Heide et al. / MPI-CBG)
The great brained apes that never were
GT is when embryonic stem cells contribute to a mammal’s reproductive cells (germ cells) and are genetically passed on to its offspring. However, GT was not required in this experiment since the transgenic marmoset fetuses were not born. Okano said the marmoset’s seven fetuses were all “in utero” (within the uterus) and were taken by caesarean section for analysis on day 102 of the pregnancy.
It has been observed that the neocortex of the common marmoset brain “enlarges and the surface of the brain folds.” In addition, the team also noted an increase in the number of upper-layer neurons that increases with the evolution of primates.
This new monkey brain injection test originated from the 2015 experiment in which a single gene was inserted into the brain of a mouse that expanded the neocortex and caused many more neurons to form. This revealed that the ARHGAP11B gene has a huge impact on brain development and enhanced functionality. Marta Florio of MPI-CBG said so LiveScience at the time it was “so cool” to discover that a tiny gene influences the phenotype of stem cells and expands the neocortex.
Wildtype (normal) and fetal transgenic ARHGAP11B marmoset brains (101 days). Yellow lines, borders of the cerebral cortex; white lines, development of the cerebellum; arrowheads, folds. Scale bars, 1 mm. (Heide et al. / MPI-CBG)
The bizarre future of gene editing
Just like cell phones and space travel, the whole concept of tinkering with the human genes we pass on to our children has long been reserved for science fiction. But today, teams of scientists are rapidly solving technological barriers and strides are now being made in treating diseases, from heart disease to Alzheimer’s. The same technologies used to “modify human genes” are also used on animals, which he says National Geographic , can be applied in the protection of endangered species such as the Tasmanian devil.
Gene editing will eventually bring extinct animal species back to life by mixing genes collected from the DNA of extinct species with existing ones. Leading the charge throughout this controversial area of study is The Long Now Foundation , who boldly claim they will “bring back the woolly mammoth.”
According to bioethicist R. Alta Charo of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, “de-extinction” could be applied to resurrect lost traits for commercial breeding, allowing scientists to “mix or create new species on a whim” and in our own future says billionaires might someday give their 12-year-old daughters “real unicorns” for their birthdays. Or maybe now, smart marmosets that will do their homework while they watch Planet of the Apes on a screen thinking it could never happen in real life.
Top image: This is a marmoset. Scientists have inserted one of our genes into monkey brains. Source: Leszek Leszczynski / CC BY 2.0
By Ashley Cowie
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