Can human DNA be used to make animals smarter?

In a major breakthrough in evolutionary research, scientists have

identified for the first time the gene responsible for humans’ large

brain size. While it has long been accepted that higher bran function in

humans developed from neurological differences, this is the first time

that scientists have been able to pinpoint a specific genetic cause.

Researchers recently identified the human-accelerated regulatory

enhancer – or HARE5 for short – by inserting fragments of human DNA into

mice. There are 16 major differences in the genetic sequence between

humans and our closest genetic relatives, chimpanzees, making it

extremely difficult to identify which genetic sequence controls the

growth and complexity of the brain (human brains are, on average, about

three times heavier than that of a chimp, and its interconnections much

more intricate). Mice, however, possess a completely different gene

sequence, allowing researchers to isolate the purposes of individual

sequences when human DNA is introduced.

The research revealed that the brains of mice implanted with the

human DNA grew larger and developed more quickly than those of untreated

mice. The gene worked by regulating the number of neural stem cells

produced by the mouse embryo, ultimately increasing the number of

neurons produced in the brain.

Study author Debra Silver, an assistant professor of molecular

genetics & microbiology at the Duke University Medical School, said

that the research findings could be crucial to understanding how human

evolution has differed from that of other animals, and the roles that

various parts of our DNA played in that change.

Source Article from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AscensionEarth2012/~3/wCCRa8PqUcw/can-human-dna-be-used-to-make-animals.html

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Can human DNA be used to make animals smarter?