A Road Map for 21st Century Genetic Restoration: Gene Pool Enrichment of the Black-Footed Ferret.

ABSTRACT: Interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) could benefit recovery programs of critically endangered species but must be weighed with the risks of failure. To weigh the risks and benefits, a decision-making process that evaluates progress is needed. Experiments that evaluate the efficiency and efficacy of blastocyst, fetal, and post-parturition development are necessary to determine the success or failure or species-specific iSCNT programs. Here, we use the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) as a case study for evaluating this emerging biomedical technology as a tool for genetic restoration. The black-footed ferret has depleted genetic variation yet genome resource banks contain genetic material of individuals not currently represented in the extant lineage. Thus, genetic restor

SUBMITTER: Wisely SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4567841 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep-Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature