Organisms have been created by nuclear transfer cloning, in which a diploid nucleus from a somatic cell of an adult animal is injected into an enucleated egg cell to create an embryo. Among the many species thus cloned, there has been a prevalence of mitochondrial defects. Which of the following is the most likely explanation?
A)The transferred nucleus may destroy the egg mitochondria.
B)The egg cell may be heteroplastic before injection.
C)The somatic cell's mitochondria may have been transferred as well.
D)The transferred nucleus may have mutations that alter mitochondrial function.
E)The egg nucleus may have had one or more mutations that alter mitochondrial function.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The transferred nucleus may have mutations that alter mitochondrial function. Mitochondria have their own genome, which is separate from the nuclear genome, and thus mutations in the nucleus may not necessarily affect mitochondrial function. However, in nuclear transfer cloning, the transferred nucleus may have mutations that can affect mitochondrial function, leading to the prevalence of mitochondrial defects in cloned organisms.

Organisms Have Been Created by Nuclear Transfer Cloning, in Which