Tetra (monkey)
Encyclopedia
Tetra is a Rhesus macaque
that was created through a cloning technique called "embryo splitting". She is the first cloned primate
, and was created by a team led by Professor Gerald Schatten
of the Oregon National Primate Research Center
.
are split at the eight–cell stage to create four identical two cell embryos, and was the first time this technique had prove successful in monkeys, although it is often used in cattle. She was the first primate to have been cloned. Only two of the four embryos survived to the stage in which they could be implanted into surrogates, and Tetra was the only one to be delivered successfully after 157 days. The announcement of Tetra was made on January 13, 2000, when she was four months old. It was thought that by producing identical primates, advances in human medical research could be made. A further four monkeys, cloned using this same technique were due to be born in May 2000.
The team at the Oregon National Primate Research Center
working on the project was led by Professor Gerald Schatten
, who described the process involved as "artificial twinning". It was not the same technique
used to produce Dolly the sheep, which involved transferring material from an adult animal into an empty cell sack.
In following year, the team produced another Rhesus macaque
, named Andi, who was the first genetically modified monkey. The egg that was used had been modified to include the jellyfish
gene to make cells glow under a special microscope.
Rhesus Macaque
The Rhesus macaque , also called the Rhesus monkey, is one of the best-known species of Old World monkeys. It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and its tolerance of a broad range of habitats...
that was created through a cloning technique called "embryo splitting". She is the first cloned primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
, and was created by a team led by Professor Gerald Schatten
Gerald Schatten
Gerald Schatten is an American stem cell researcher with interests in cell, developmental, and reproductive biology. He is Professor and Vice-Chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is also...
of the Oregon National Primate Research Center
Oregon National Primate Research Center
The Oregon National Primate Research Center is one of eight federally funded National Primate Research Centers in the United States and has been affiliated with Oregon Health and Science University since 1998. The center is located on of land west of Portland, Oregon, in Hillsboro...
.
Description
Tetra was created using embryo splitting, a process where the cells in the embryoEmbryo
An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
are split at the eight–cell stage to create four identical two cell embryos, and was the first time this technique had prove successful in monkeys, although it is often used in cattle. She was the first primate to have been cloned. Only two of the four embryos survived to the stage in which they could be implanted into surrogates, and Tetra was the only one to be delivered successfully after 157 days. The announcement of Tetra was made on January 13, 2000, when she was four months old. It was thought that by producing identical primates, advances in human medical research could be made. A further four monkeys, cloned using this same technique were due to be born in May 2000.
The team at the Oregon National Primate Research Center
Oregon National Primate Research Center
The Oregon National Primate Research Center is one of eight federally funded National Primate Research Centers in the United States and has been affiliated with Oregon Health and Science University since 1998. The center is located on of land west of Portland, Oregon, in Hillsboro...
working on the project was led by Professor Gerald Schatten
Gerald Schatten
Gerald Schatten is an American stem cell researcher with interests in cell, developmental, and reproductive biology. He is Professor and Vice-Chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is also...
, who described the process involved as "artificial twinning". It was not the same technique
Nuclear transfer
Nuclear Transfer is a form of cloning. The steps involve removing the DNA from an oocyte , and injecting the nucleus which contains the DNA to be cloned. In rare instances, the newly constructed cell will divide normally, replicating the new DNA while remaining in a pluripotent state...
used to produce Dolly the sheep, which involved transferring material from an adult animal into an empty cell sack.
In following year, the team produced another Rhesus macaque
Rhesus Macaque
The Rhesus macaque , also called the Rhesus monkey, is one of the best-known species of Old World monkeys. It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and its tolerance of a broad range of habitats...
, named Andi, who was the first genetically modified monkey. The egg that was used had been modified to include the jellyfish
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
gene to make cells glow under a special microscope.