Fascinating research shows (in laboratory conditions) that electric eels (Electrophorus spp.) can temporarily modify nearby fish larvae DNA with their electrical impulses.
Open-access – https://peerj.com/articles/16596/
“In the lab, researchers regularly use electricity to deposit medicine, DNA, bacteria or other substances into cells. This process is known as electroporation, and it works by creating temporary openings, or pores, in cell membranes that the DNA can enter through…… Now, researchers have discovered that electric eels may be causing the same phenomenon to occur in nature. In the lab, these unusual creatures can release enough electricity to genetically modify nearby fish larvae, scientists report”
Sci-comm post – https://www.smithsonianmag.com/…/eels-can-genetically…/
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Electric organ discharge from electric eel facilitates DNA transformation into teleost larvae in laboratory conditions
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Sakaki S, Ito R, Abe H, Kinoshita M, Hondo E, Iida A. 2023. Electric organ discharge from electric eel facilitates DNA transformation into teleost larvae in laboratory conditions. PeerJ 11:e16596 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16596
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Background
Electric eels (Electrophorus spp.) are known for their ability to produce electric organ discharge (EOD) reaching voltages of up to 860 V. Given that gene transfer via intense electrical pulses is a well-established technique in genetic engineering, we hypothesized that electric eels could potentially function as a gene transfer mechanism in their aquatic environment.
Methods
To investigate this hypothesis, we immersed zebrafish larvae in water containing DNA encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and exposed them to electric eelโs EOD.
Results and Discussion
Some embryos exhibited a mosaic expression of green fluorescence, in contrast to the control group without electrical stimulation, which showed little distinct fluorescence. This suggests that electric eel EOD has the potential to function as an electroporator for the transfer of DNA into eukaryotic cells. While electric eel EOD is primarily associated with behaviors related to sensing, predation, and defense, it may incidentally serve as a possible mechanism for gene transfer in natural environment.
This investigation represents the initial exploration of the uncharted impact of electric eel EOD, but it does not directly establish its significance within the natural environment. Further research is required to understand the ecological implications of this phenomenon.
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An electric eel collected in Peru, which is most likely to be an example of ๐ธ. ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐, photo by Owen Bissell.
Copyright ยฉ 2023 the Author(s). Published in Zoological Science/PeerJ.
