🚀 go-pugleaf

Aldor wrote:
> 
> AgAcademy wrote:
> >
> > Aldor wrote:
> >
> > > I wonder if anyone has tried increasing the length of units on the
> > > telomeres of mice.  Would they grow bigger, live longer, or neither?
> >
> > How difficult will it be to turn on the telemerase gene in somatice
> > cells?  Has this been done in vitro?
> 
> Just changing the number of units in a fertilized mouse egg cell might
> be interesting. 

Changing the number of units would only affect those cells (which would
be a VERY small fraction of the cells in an adult animal.  You would
have to change the GENES that code for the number of telomeres so that
when cells divided, all new cell s would have the larger number.  And
THAT we don't know how to do yet! (As far as I know, we don't)

jdbarron@cphl.mindspring.com


 I think mice or some other rodents only have a few
> chromosomes which would make it easier still.  One might have to extract
> the chromosomes and add longer telomeres through splicing or the use of
> telomerase, then readd to the cell.  One could check the embryo for
> telomere number.  How are the telomeres' unit numbers added in gamete or
> fertilized egg cells?  Is it as seperate germ cells or in the newly
> fertilized cell?  Are the exact numbers of units to be added well
> regulated and if so how?  Or are germ cells like skin cells in that they
> will not decrease telomere length?