The chimera of different animals has been found in the past decades. Typically, chimeric individuals can be readily identified based on left-right asymmetries in body coloration. For example, cats with left-right differences in facial fur color and crayfish with left-right differences in body coloration are typical examples of chimeras. The common and general research questions in this field are: How do chimeras arise? What are the genetic and cellular mechanisms underlying their formation?
Recently, a study published in the KeAi journal Reproduction and Breeding , a group of researchers from China, reported a crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii ) chimera, derived from a F 1 of hybridization between Black king crayfish and its wild type. This finding provides a valuable resource for scientists to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation and developmental maintenance of chimeras containing two or more genetic components.
“The cells with two distinct genetic components are irregularly distributed in the different organs of a crayfish chimera,” shares corresponding author Xufeng Bai, a professor at Huazhong Agricultural University. “To our surprise, however, two different colors and patterns are symmetrical on its body between left and right sides. It’s interesting to observe the sexual characteristic and important economic traits for the progenies of chimera.”
Genetic analysis, however, revealed a more complex picture. Multiple genotypes coexisted within the same individual and were distributed irregularly across different tissues and organs. This genetic distribution did not correspond completely with the striking bilateral symmetry observed in the carapace.
The researchers suggest that hybridisation between different varieties of red swamp crayfish may have contributed to the formation of the chimera.
The study provides a useful reference for further investigations into how tissues or organs with different genetic compositions can coexist and be maintained within a single organism. More broadly, the researchers suggest that such work could also contribute to understanding biological mechanisms associated with tissue compatibility and immune rejection in organ transplantation.
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Contact the author:
Xufeng Bai, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, xufengbai@mail.hzau.edu.cn
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Reproduction and Breeding
Case study
Animals
Phenotypic and molecular characteristics of a chimera mutant of red swamp crayffsh (Procambarus clarkii)
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.