《哈利·波特》系列影片里的腮囊草看起來有一天會(huì)變成現(xiàn)實(shí),?？茖W(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)，通過把我們的DNA與這種海藻的結(jié)合在一起,，或許有一天人類就能像魚兒一樣在水下呼吸,。
他們研究蠑螈時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn)，產(chǎn)生氧氣的海藻可與這種動(dòng)物的卵緊密結(jié)合在一起,，以致現(xiàn)在二者已經(jīng)無法分開,。他們希望通過對(duì)這一機(jī)制進(jìn)行更加深入的研究，有一天能把這種方法應(yīng)用到人類身上,，這樣我們就能像《哈利·波特與火焰杯》里的哈利一樣在水里自由遨游,，不用擔(dān)心會(huì)窒息而亡。在電影里,，哈利吞下這種黏糊糊的植物后,，脖子兩邊長(zhǎng)出了腮,，能像魚兒一樣在水里游來游去。
然而這項(xiàng)最新研究打算把我們的DNA與腮囊草的DNA結(jié)合在一起,，讓我們變得更像海藻,，這種植物即使置身海底，仍能釋放出氧氣,。加拿大哈利法克斯達(dá)爾豪斯大學(xué)的研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，自從人類誕生以來,，我們的DNA吸收了數(shù)百種病毒,。他們把這一理論應(yīng)用到蠑螈身上，因?yàn)楹Ｔ褰?jīng)常會(huì)進(jìn)入到它們的胚胎里,，從某種意義上來說,，一些蠑螈已經(jīng)變成了半植物體。
這一發(fā)現(xiàn)首次證明了植物和脊椎動(dòng)物之間存在的共生現(xiàn)象,?？茖W(xué)家表示，或許有一天生物工程師可以把藻類當(dāng)作其他生物體的氧氣來源,，其中包括人類,。要想實(shí)現(xiàn)這種巨大跳躍，我們還需要進(jìn)行大量試驗(yàn),，不過人類是像蠑螈一樣的脊椎動(dòng)物,，因此這個(gè)目標(biāo)很有可能會(huì)變成現(xiàn)實(shí)。
首席研究人員賴安·肯尼博士說：“卵囊里的海藻能為蠑螈的胚胎提供氧氣,，海藻從胚胎產(chǎn)生的廢物里獲取營養(yǎng),，胚胎里含有的大量氮正是這種植物需要的。我們還在成年蠑螈的生殖器里發(fā)現(xiàn)海藻的DNA,，似乎這是可以遺傳的,。我們稱這一現(xiàn)象為‘垂直傳遞’，與之結(jié)合的海藻可能是從外界吸收進(jìn)來的,。”該研究成果發(fā)表在《美國國家科學(xué)院院刊》上,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
PNAS doi: 10.1073/pnas.1018259108
Intracellular invasion of green algae in a salamander host
Ryan Kerneya,1, Eunsoo Kimb, Roger P. Hangarterc, Aaron A. Heissa, Cory D. Bishopd, and Brian K. Halla
The association between embryos of the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) and green algae (“Oophila amblystomatis” Lamber ex Printz) has been considered an ectosymbiotic mutualism. We show here, however, that this symbiosis is more intimate than previously reported. A combination of imaging and algal 18S rDNA amplification reveals algal invasion of embryonic salamander tissues and cells during development. Algal cells are detectable from embryonic and larval Stages 26–44 through chlorophyll autofluorescence and algal 18S rDNA amplification. Algal cell ultrastructure indicates both degradation and putative encystment during the process of tissue and cellular invasion. Fewer algal cells were detected in later-stage larvae through FISH, suggesting that the decline in autofluorescent cells is primarily due to algal cell death within the host. However, early embryonic egg capsules also contained encysted algal cells on the inner capsule wall, and algal 18S rDNA was amplified from adult reproductive tracts, consistent with oviductal transmission of algae from one salamander generation to the next. The invasion of algae into salamander host tissues and cells represents a unique association between a vertebrate and a eukaryotic alga, with implications for research into cell–cell recognition, possible exchange of metabolites or DNA, and potential congruence between host and symbiont population structures.
