Re: Mitochondrial degeneration?


_Arthur wrote:
I wonder if mitochondrial grafts -- including intersepecies
mitochondrial grafts -- would not be possible, even easy, during in
vitro fertilization ?

I am unsure if such grafts would be subject to the same opprobrium than
genetic splicing and other genetic "tampering". Very likely so.

It should be possible to "boost" a particular plant with known-superior
mitochondria from another plant species, to the horror of anti-GMO
peoples.

I think that Last Conformist confusion about the age of mitochondria is
due to Dolly the cloned sheep, who began its life from an already aged
cell.
Mitochondria do not have telomeres at the end of their chromosomes to
limit the number of cell divisions, not like most body cells do.

Mitochondrial transplants have already been attempted in humans. Donor
eggs are used and the nucleus of the donor egg is removed leaving the
cytoplasm containing the mitochondria and the zygote nucleus from a
fertilization between the parents wanting a child is placed in the egg
via nuclear transfer.

Nuclear transfer and embryo cloning is common practice in animals.
Some people have tried to make businesses out of it doing it for
cattle. The embryo clones aren't really clones because their
mitochondrial genomes come from the donor eggs.

Ron Okimoto

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