Speaker: Jinqiu Zhou, PhD, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, CAS

Time: 13:00-14:30 p.m., May 17, 2024, GMT+8

Venue: Youcai Deng Lecture Hall, School of Life Sciences, PKU 

Abstract: 

The genetic information of eukaryotes is buried in chromosomes. Different organisms usually contain different numbers of chromosomes. Presumably the organization and/or number of chromosomes in a particular species have evolved to well adapt to the living environment. Artificial chromosome engineering in both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe yeasts creats phenotypically healthy single-chromosome cells. The mouse haploid embryonic stem cells (haESCs) containing chromosome 15-17 fusion is pluripotent to generating heterozygous (2n=39) and homozygous (2n=38) mice. Mice containing the fusion chromosome are fertile, and their representative tissues and organs display no phenotypic abnormalities, suggesting unscathed development. These studies reveal the configuration robustness of eukaryotic genomes, and reorganization of genome (chromosomes) can be readily tolerated even in mouse development.

Source: School of Life Sciences, PKU