Spontaneous Chimerism in Mammals A Critical Review

Benirschke, Kurt

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-99963-5_1

Cited by 24 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 123 publications

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“…In spite of the immunological importance of separation between the fetal and the maternal circulation during pregnancy, numerous studies have suggested the transplacental passage of circulating cells from mother to fetus 1–11 and vice versa 12–15 . The latter is especially of great importance with regard to the clinical requirements of screening fetuses for hereditary diseases.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two independent pathways of maternal cell transmission to offspring: through placenta during pregnancy and by breast‐feeding after birth

et al. 2000

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Summary Cell transmission from mother to offspring was demonstrated using mice with green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic markers. GFP transgene heterozygous (+/−) females were mated with GFP (−/−) males, and GFP+ cells in the GFP (−/−) fetuses generated between them were analysed to assess maternal blood cell transmission to conceptuses in utero. The GFP+ maternal cells were observed throughout the body of the fetuses, as shown by fluorescence stereomicroscopy. Cell entrance into the fetal immune system was shown by histochemical and flow cytometric analyses of fetal organs such as thymus, spleen and liver. The GFP+ maternal cells persisted in the offspring until postpartum. Next, GFP (−/−) neonates fed by GFP+ foster mothers were examined to study the transfer of maternal milk leucocytes to offspring through breast‐feeding. GFP+ leucocytes that had infiltrated through the wall of the digestive tract were mainly localized in the livers of neonates. Their accumulation in the livers reached a maximum on days 5 or 6, and these cells became undetectable, as assessed by either histochemistry or flow cytometry, after day 9 of starting foster nursing. Collectively, the present results demonstrate two independent pathways of maternal cell transmission to offspring: transplacental passage during pregnancy and breast‐feeding after birth.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two independent pathways of maternal cell transmission to offspring: through placenta during pregnancy and by breast‐feeding after birth

et al. 2000

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“…He attributed the increase in acylation to production of more tRNA; however, his work did not rule out the possibility of a steroid-dependent stimulation or activation of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. It is a well-known fact that, when prenatal anastomoses exist between the placentas of bovine unlike-sexed DZ twins, profound alterations in the development of the female twin occur, resulting in a stunted, sterile, " freemartin " calf (Benirschke 1970). There have been only two cases with histologically verified interplacental anastomoses in dichorionic placentas reported in man, and these were in MZ twins (Cameron 1968).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Genetic Study of Erythrocyte Arginine-tRNA Synthetase Activity in Man

McCune

Nance

1977

Acta genet. med. gemellol.

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To search for evidence of genetic variation among the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, a semi-automated assay procedure employing a Technicon Auto Analyzer was used to measure erythrocyte arginine-tRNA synthetase activity in samples obtained from normal human twins of various ages. Variation in enzyme activity within the older DZ twins was five times that of the MZ twins suggesting the existence of genetically determined variation in enzyme activity. Higher enzyme activity was observed in newborn DZ unlike-sexed twins than in like-sexed twins of either zygosity. Possible explanations for this observation are discussed.

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“…Of 282 published cases reviewed by Krob et al (1994), 20% had either chromosomal mosaicism or chimerism involving a Y chromosome, most commonly 46,XX/46,XY. A 46,XX/46,XY karyotype may result from mosaicism (the presence of cell populations of more than one genotype within an individual and arising from a single zygote), or chimerism (the presence of genetically distinct populations of cells within an individual derived from more than one zygote) (Benirschke 1970). Multiple DNA markers may distinguish between mosaicism and chimerism and indicate the underlying mechanism.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A case of true hermaphroditism reveals an unusual mechanism of twinning

et al. 2006

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Traditionally twins are classified as dizygous or fraternal and monozygous or identical (Hall Twinning, 362, 2003 and 735-743). We report a rare case of 46,XX/46,XY twins: Twin A presented with ambiguous genitalia and Twin B was a phenotypically normal male. These twins demonstrate a third, previously unreported mechanism for twinning. The twins underwent initial investigation with 17-hydroxyprogesterone and testosterone levels, pelvic ultrasound and diagnostic laparoscopy. Cytogenetic analysis was performed on peripheral blood cells and skin fibroblasts. Histological examination and Fluorescence in situ hybridization studies on touch imprints were performed on gonadal biopsies. DNA analysis using more than 6,000 DNA markers was performed on skin fibroblast samples from the twins and on peripheral blood samples from both parents. Twin A was determined to be a true hermaphrodite and Twin B an apparently normal male. Both twins had a 46,XX/46,XY chromosome complement in peripheral lymphocytes, skin fibroblasts, and gonadal biopsies. The proportion of XX to XY cells varied between the twins and the tissues evaluated. Most significantly the twins shared 100% of maternal alleles and approximately 50% of paternal alleles in DNA analysis of skin fibroblasts. The twins are chimeric and share a single genetic contribution from their mother but have two genetic contributions from their father thus supporting the existence of a third, previously unreported type of twinning.

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Spontaneous Chimerism in Mammals A Critical Review

Abstract: This illustration of a "Chimara" comes from an old German text on "Fabelhafte Thiere" and depicts the composite nature of this animal as a mixture of lion/goat/serpent under "Vermischte Gegenstande".

Cited by 24 publications

References 123 publications

Two independent pathways of maternal cell transmission to offspring: through placenta during pregnancy and by breast‐feeding after birth

Two independent pathways of maternal cell transmission to offspring: through placenta during pregnancy and by breast‐feeding after birth

A Genetic Study of Erythrocyte Arginine-tRNA Synthetase Activity in Man

A case of true hermaphroditism reveals an unusual mechanism of twinning

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