China Successfully Clones First Tibetan Goats Using Same Procedure in Cloning Dolly the Sheep

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Remi Mathis)
China Successfully Clones First Tibetan Goats Using Same Procedure in Cloning Dolly the Sheep

China was reportedly able to clone Tibetan goats successfully using the same process in producing Dolly the Sheep. The goats were reportedly cloned using somatic cells.

China Clones Tibetan Goats

Chinese scientists were successful in cloning goats using somatic cell cloning. The process involves transferring the nucleus of an adult cell into a new egg cell, which is then implanted in a surrogate mother, who delivers a baby with 100% DNA from the donor.

According to a video from the state-run news station China Central Television (CCTV), the first-born goat weighed 7.4 pounds and was described as "healthy." The second goat has not been mentioned. They were created by cloning enormous, nearly 900-pound male goats that had excelled in breeding contests.

This is a challenging procedure for breeders and herders, but according to Chinese experts, the goal is to "restore and preserve" the genetic material from "excellent individuals" in the population.

"Through cloning, the genetic information can be completely copied," said lead researcher Su Jianmin with Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University. "With making full use of excellent breeding rams, as well as fully utilizing and expanding their genetic resources, we provide our scientific and technological strength to increase the income of local farmers and develop the local breeding industry."

The team employed the same somatic cell nuclear technique to clone Dolly the Sheep. As the term "somatic" suggests, it entails removing DNA from a donor cell, in this case, a body cell. Subsequently, the donor's DNA is inserted into an egg cell to replace the original DNA.

After being implanted with this modified egg cell, a surrogate gives birth to a baby with the same genetic makeup as the donor animal. The somatic cell DNA of the Tibetan goats originated from three "excellent breeding rams," but the egg was derived from a single ewe.

Although the scientists have not shared many specifics regarding the discovery, they have revealed one: of 43 surrogate goats, 58.1 percent initially became pregnant.

Similar to human in vitro fertilization, not all attempts to implant an embryo result in implantation. About 37.2 of the surrogate moms were still carrying children at 120 days. The average gestation period for goats is 150 days.

The researchers carried out the process to "increase the income of local farmers and herdsmen."

ALSO READ: Biggest Cloning Misconception: Clone and Donor the Same? No, They're Not

Who Is Dolly The Sheep?

Dolly, the sheep, was part of the Roslin Institute's study on producing livestock or agricultural animals that have undergone genetic modification. The study centered on introducing novel genes into cattle to cause them to exhibit novel traits that their progeny can inherit.

Dolly was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell. The process was considered unfeasible before the birth of the famous cloned sheep. It was once thought that adult specialized cells, such as skin or liver cells, exclusively stored information relevant to their particular function. Dolly was created from a single mammary cell containing all the genetic material needed to produce an entirely new sheep.

Dolly was born as a single cell in a test tube derived from an egg cell from a Scottish Blackface sheep and the mammary gland of a Finn Dorset sheep. The embryo was implanted into a surrogate mother after six days of normal development in a lab.

Dolly was born on July 5, 1996. She was named after Dolly Parton, a country western singer.

Dolly's birth was concealed until the Roslin Institute research paper was ready for publishing. Following the announcement of her birth on Feb. 22, 1997, the world's press flocked to Roslin to visit the now-famous sheep. Her disclosure spurred a new discussion about the morality of cloning.