What do you get when you cross a jellyfish and a monkey? A whole new way to look at the relationship between a mother and her fetus--or at least that is what one UW-Madison researcher recently got.
In the Sept. 11 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Thaddeus Golos, associate at the Primate Research Center, published his findings showing the use of a jellyfish gene can induce a fluorescent glow in rhesus macaque's placenta. Although a monkey with a glowing organ may seem like little more than a feat for David Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks, it may hold the key to eliminating a plethora of maternal and fetal health issues.
The health of a mother and fetus begins with the placenta, a disc-like organ about eight inches in diameter.
'In terms of the success of pregnancy, establishing pregnancy, and having a good fetal growth, the placenta is the most important organ,' Golos said.
The placenta is an organ belonging to the fetus just like a heart or eyes. The difference in a placenta is its futility once the baby is born. Since the baby can now get oxygen and food for himself after birth the placenta is useless. During pregnancy however, the placenta is as crucial as the eyes will be to the mature baby.
'The placenta provides nutrients for the fetus, it attaches the fetus to the mom and gets access to the maternal blood supply,' Golos said. '[It] really allows appropriate fetal development.'
A defective placenta can lead to any number of health defects that Golos has been researching at his lab in the Primate Center and as an OB/GYN at the UW Hospital. Infertility, early pregnancy loss, spontaneous miscarriage and others all stem from placental defects.
To cure these diseases researchers have been looking at the genes that contribute to placental development.
Now a tool provided courtesy of jellyfishes can show those genes in a whole new way.
A gene naturally occurring in jellyfish causes a green fluorescence. The gene, called enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), has been used many times in various organisms to act as a reporter gene. eGFP can be attached to another gene in another organism, like Golos' monkeys, and anytime the host organism's gene is expressed a localized green flourescense follows, acting like a reporter.
When Golos wanted to see what genes are responsible for healthy placental growth, he turned to Robert Hawley at the American Red Cross Holland Laboratory. Hawley had been researching the eGFP for some time, and he was willing to share his work with Golos.
Now the hunt begins, Golos and his colleagues can start looking for each gene that may contribute to pregnancy mishaps and diseases.
With the ability to now actually see which genes are responsible for maternal and fetal health, Golos says that in 15 to 20 years gene therapy may be available to mothers. With such therapy a host of birth and pregnancy defects will no longer be life threatening.
Fortunately mothers will not have to have glowing green babies to reap the benefits.
