Department of terminology Report about CHIMERAS

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Jankovic Iva Number 25 Teacher Marina 2013/2014

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What does the name chimera come from?

The word chimera comes from Greek mythology; it represents a fire- breathing creature composed of the parts of three animals: a lion, a snake and a goat.

What are chimeras?

In genetics chimera is defined as an organism or tissue that contains at least two sets of DNA or organs that do not match the DNA of the rest of the organism. There are two categories of chimeras: natural and artificial. Natural chimeras are created when four parent cells (or two fertilized eggs) become fused. Blood transfusion, organ transplants, or bone marrow transplants can cause chimerism since foreign DNA is introduced to the organism; these examples refer to the artificial chimerism. Chimerism most often occurs very early in the embryonic development. It is often a result of two-non identical twin embryos merging together instead of growing on their own.
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However, chimerism doesn't always involve twins. Even mothers and babies "trade" cells during pregnancy, usually in very tiny amounts. A baby's DNA can end up in the mother's bloodstream, because they are linked together through the placenta. Chimeras might have distinct, identifiable features. They may be born with different color eyes or different shades of patchy skin, their hair might be mixed in color or texture, or they may be born hermaphroditic. Hermaphrodites have been found to be chimeras but all the hermaphrodites do not have chemerism. It is simply impossible to find out accurate number of people having chemerism. Most people never have any symptoms. In some cases, chimerism may be the result of scientists mixing two species. In one case, scientists produced a goat-sheep mix. They have also been able to produce a chimera quail-chicken. Most often these attempts fail, and if they do work, the animal produced is often sterile. When scientists attempt to produce chimerism, they are merging embryos of two animals. They are not mixing the egg of one species with the sperm of another. That process is more common, more successful and is called hybridization.

Double helix DNA

How did doctors find out about chimeras?

Although human chimeras existed since the world exists, we didnt know about it. DNA wasn't identified until 1952 with Rosalind Franklin's X-ray crystallography. A human chimera was announced the following year: In 1953 in the British Medical Journal published the first study of a human chimera. The woman in the study had two distinct blood types. Her chimerism came from her twin brother, who was still alive. She had absorbed some of his DNA while being in the womb.

The first case of chimerism

The first known case of a human chimera is a Washington woman named Lydia Fairchild who was required to prove her relationship to her children. Her children's DNA tests suggested that she wasn't their mother, because their DNA was different than hers. However, it did confirm that their father was their father. Prejudice worked against Lydia Fairchild; people figured she'd been caught attempting fraud. She couldn't get legal representation because lawyers regarded DNA "evidence" as irrefutable.

Lydia Fairchild Fortunately, there was another woman in Boston who was experiencing a similar problem. Karen Keegan was a 52-year-old teacher. When she needed a kidney transplant, her three sons were tested for DNA compatibility. The tests indicated that she lacked a maternal relationship with two of her three sons.

Karen Keegan While Lydia Fairchild was fighting off the state prosecutor, Karen Keegan was in a position to reveal the DNA mystery. Her doctor pored over medical journals and networked with colleagues. She then surmised that Karen Keegan was a chimera and began testing. First, doctors took DNA samples of Karen Keegan's hair and skin. When these samples proved fruitless, they moved on to sample her internal organs where found a different set of DNA. Genetically, two of her sons appeared to be descendents of her husband and a vanished twin.
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Luckily for Lydia Fairchild, Karen Keegan's experience was documented in a medical journal. When word reached Washington, Lydia Fairchild was finally able to secure legal representation, welfare, and custody of her children.

Implications of Chimerism
As Lydia Fairchild's judge observed, having chimerism can question the validity of DNA tests. Positive matches remain unchallenged but all "negatives" are now suspect. The phenomena of chimerism calls into question many paternity suits and other court cases. In a small percentage of couples, it might also help explain infertility.

There is no cure for chimeras, but they live normally as other people do. The number of people with chimerism in the world is very low according to the cases we know about, but there is no doubt that there are many more of them that do not even know they have such a condition.

References: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
http://santacruz.hubpages.com/hub/People-with-Double-DNA-An-Overview-of-Chimeras http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-chimerism.htm# http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1826423/chimera http://www.themedicalbag.com/raredisease/chimera http://bodygeeks.com/2011/04/wtf-wednesdays-chimeras/ http://www.babycenter.com/0_strange-but-true-one-person-born-with-two-sets-of-dna-achim_10364937.bc http://www.innovateus.net/innopedia/what-chimerism