Nuclei transplantation proves that DNA doesn't dictate skeletal characteristics of an organism
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15469998
Excerpt: "In previous studies of nuclear transplantation, most cloned animals were obtained by intraspecies nuclear transfer and are phenotypically identical to their nuclear donors; furthermore, there was no further report on successful fish cloning since the report of cloned zebrafish. Here we report the production of seven cross-genus cloned fish by transferring nuclei from transgenic common carp into enucleated eggs of goldfish. Nuclear genomes of the cloned fish were exclusively derived from the nuclear donor species, common carp, whereas the mitochondrial DNA from the donor carp gradually disappeared during the development of nuclear transfer (NT) embryos.
The somite development process and somite number of nuclear transplants were consistent with the recipient species, goldfish, rather than the nuclear donor species, common carp. This resulted in a long-lasting effect on the vertebral numbers of the cloned fish, which belonged to the range of goldfish. These demonstrate that fish egg cytoplasm not only can support the development driven by transplanted nuclei from a distantly related species at the genus scale but also can modulate development of the nuclear transplants."
https://academic.oup.com/biolreprod/article/72/3/509/2666961
https://academic.oup.com/biolreprod/article/72/3/509/2666961
Excerpt: "Surprisingly, however, the number of vertebrae in the clones was that of the species providing the recipient egg. Thus the egg cytoplasm, and not the genetic code of the transplanted nucleus, affected this skeletal characteristic in the offspring."
My comment: This is a great example of how the cell uses DNA material. DNA has no control over cellular processes, phenotypes, individual characteristics or body plan. Epigenetic reprogramming of stem cells is needed for embryonic development. This complex reprogramming procedure is mediated by non coding RNA molecules that transfer necessary epigenetic markers for histone tails and DNA bases (cytosine and adenine methylation). There is no such thing as mutation driven evolution. Variation of organisms is based on epigenetic regulation of existing biological information and it will never lead to any kind of evolution. Adaptation and change are scientific facts but shifting between alternative epigenetic programs don't result in evolution, but gradual and inevitable genetic degradation only. Don't be deceived.
p.s. Thanks to Jorge Rodriguez for addressing me this interesting find. He told that researchers who made this study didn't get further funding for being able to continue this research. Surprise.
My comment: This is a great example of how the cell uses DNA material. DNA has no control over cellular processes, phenotypes, individual characteristics or body plan. Epigenetic reprogramming of stem cells is needed for embryonic development. This complex reprogramming procedure is mediated by non coding RNA molecules that transfer necessary epigenetic markers for histone tails and DNA bases (cytosine and adenine methylation). There is no such thing as mutation driven evolution. Variation of organisms is based on epigenetic regulation of existing biological information and it will never lead to any kind of evolution. Adaptation and change are scientific facts but shifting between alternative epigenetic programs don't result in evolution, but gradual and inevitable genetic degradation only. Don't be deceived.
p.s. Thanks to Jorge Rodriguez for addressing me this interesting find. He told that researchers who made this study didn't get further funding for being able to continue this research. Surprise.
