Chimera (genetics)

This article is about Chimera genetics. For DNA sequencing artifacts, see Chimera (molecular biology).
Not to be confused with Chimera (mythology).
Two-colored rose chimera

A genetic chimerism or chimera (/kaɪˈmɪərə/ ky-MEER-ə or /kɪˈmɪərə/ kim-EER-ə) is a single organism composed of cells with more than one distinct genotype. Animal chimeras can be produced by the merger of two (or more) embryos. In plants and some animal chimeras, mosaicism involves distinct types of tissue that originated from the same zygote but differ due to mutation during ordinary cell division.

Normally, genetic chimerism is not visible on casual inspection; however, it has been detected in the course of proving parentage.[1] More practically, in agronomy Chimera indicates a plant or portion of a plant whose tissues are made up of two or more types of cells with different genetic makeup; it can derive from a bud mutation or, more rarely, at the grafting point, from the concrescence of cells of the two bionts; in this case it is commonly referred to as a "graft hybrid", although it is not a hybrid in the genetic sense of "hybrid".[2]

In contrast, an individual where each cell contains genetic material from two organisms of different breeds, varieties, species or genera is called a hybrid.[3]

Another way that chimerism can occur in animals is by organ transplantation, giving one individual tissues that developed from a different genome. For example, transplantation of bone marrow often determines the recipient's ensuing blood type.[4]

  1. ^ Friedman, Lauren. "The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story Of A Woman Who Was Her Own Twin". Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  2. ^ Machácková, Ivana; Romanov, Georgy A. (2013-11-11). Phytohormones in Plant Biotechnology and Agriculture: Proceedings of the NATO-Russia Workshop held in Moscow, 12–16 May 2002. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-94-017-2664-1.
  3. ^ Sarah Taddeo, Jason S. Robert (2014-11-04). ""Hybrids and Chimeras: A Consultation on the Ethical and Social Implications of Creating Human/Animal Embryos in Research" (2007), by the HFEA". The Embryo Project at Arizona State University.
  4. ^ Lam, Susanna; Hultin, Sebastian; Preston, John; Campbell, Scott (2020). "Temporal Change in Blood Group after Bone Marrow Transplant: A Case of Successful ABO-Incompatible Deceased Donor Transplant". Case Rep Transplant. 2020: 1–4. doi:10.1155/2020/7461052. PMC 7396079. PMID 32774979.