Newsgroups: sci.bio Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!csn!boulder!boulder!eesnyder From: eesnyder@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Eric E. Snyder) Subject: Re: Reconstructing cells from DNA Message-ID: Sender: news@colorado.edu (The Daily Planet) Nntp-Posting-Host: beagle.colorado.edu Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder References: <18637@csli.Stanford.EDU> Date: 11 Apr 91 13:22:00 GMT cphoenix@csli.Stanford.EDU (Chris Phoenix) writes: >I recently started speculating about non-genetic mutations in cells.... >I'm sure everyone's read about recreating dinosaurs by finding dinosaur DNA >in tar pits or ice and injecting it into a chicken embryo (or something like >that). My question is whether DNA really completely determines what a cell >"grows up" to be. This is a small departure from you question but it is an interesting case of 'non-genetic' inheritance. In most organisms, there are 'strict maternal effect' genes/mutations. In these cases, the viability of the progeny is independent of the progeny's genotype and determined by the genotype of the mother. Thus, a dinosaur will probably be in need of more than a few 'maternal effect gene-products' which the chicken egg into which it was injected would be lacking. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- TTGATTGCTAAACACTGGGCGGCGAATCAGGGTTGGGATCTGAACAAAGACGGTCAGATTCAGTTCGTACTGCTG Eric E. Snyder Department of MCD Biology ...making feet for childrens' shoes. University of Colorado, Boulder Boulder, Colorado 80309-0347 LeuIleAlaLysHisTrpAlaAlaAsnGlnGlyTrpAspLeuAsnLysAspGlyGlnIleGlnPheValLeuLeu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------