Zaps from electric eels modify the genes of nearby fish

Zaps from electric eels modify the genes of nearby fish

Source: boingboing

12/18/2023

Credit: SNAPSY/Shutterstock

Electroporation is a technique in which scientists use a pulse of electricity to briefly open the pores of cells in order to insert other DNA, medicine, or other chemicals. Apparently, electric eels sometimes do the same thing. Scientists determined that they can release enough electricity to affect the genes of nearby fish.

"I realized that electric eels in the Amazon River could well act as a power source, organisms living in the surrounding area could act as recipient cells and environmental DNA fragments released into the water would become foreign genes, causing genetic recombination in the surrounding organisms because of electric discharge," says Nagoya University biologist Atsuo Iida, a leading researcher on the project.

Goldfish

Electric eel

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