Explainer:DecodingChina'ssuccessincloningendangeredXizangcattle_GuangmingOnlineThisphototakenonJan.29,2024showsclonesofApeijiazacattleinYunyangCounty,southwestChina'sChongqingMunicipality.Chinesescientistsrecentlyconfirmedtheworld'sfirstsuccessfulcloningofendangeredcattlebreedsfoundinsouthwestChina'sXizangAutonomousRegion.TheZhangmuandtheApeijiaza,tworareyellowcattlebreedsnativetotheQinghai-XizangPlateau,arestrategicresourcesforChina,asthesebreedscanhelpresearchersbreedvarietieswelladaptedtotheharshhigh-altitudeenvironment.YunyangCountyinsouthwestChina'sChongqingMunicipalitysawthebirthoffourclonesofeachbreedandtheyarecurrentlyingoodcondition.(Xinhua/LiuShiping)BEIJING,Feb.1(Xinhua)--Chinesescientistsrecentlyconfirmedtheworld'sfirstsuccessfulcloningofendangeredcattlebreedsfoundinsouthwestChina'sXizangAutonomousRegion.TheZhangmuandtheApeijiaza,tworareyellowcattlebreedsnativetotheQinghai-XizangPlateau,arestrategicresourcesforChina,asthesebreedscanhelpresearchersbreedvarietieswelladaptedtotheharshhigh-altitudeenvironment.YunyangCountyinsouthwestChina'sChongqingMunicipalitysawthebirthoffourclonesofeachbreedandtheyarecurrentlyingoodcondition.THEMETHODAccordingtothethirdnationalsurveyoflivestockandpoultrygeneticresourcesconductedin2021and2022,therewerejust19headsofZhangmucattleinXizang'sShigatseCityand39headsofApeijiazacattleintheautonomousregion'sNyingchiCity.Tourgentlybringtheseanimalsbackfromthebrinkofextinction,relevantdepartmentsandlocalauthoritiesinChinaestablishedaworkinggrouptoprotecttheexistingcattle,preservetheirsomaticcells,andmakeclonestoincreasetheirpopulation.ScientistscollectedeartissuefromtheZhangmuandtheApeijiaza,usedsomaticcellnucleartransfertechnologytocreateclonedembryosandtransplantedthemintosurrogatecows.Afterafull-termpregnancy,fourmalecalvesofeachbreedwereborn.AheadoftheZhangmuandthreeheadsoftheApeijiazawerebornthroughcesareansection,withresearcherspreciselydeterminingtherighttimingfortheoperations.WHYYUNYANGCOUNTYWASCHOSENAstherearecurrentlynosuitableconditionsforcloninginXizang,researcherschoseChina'ssouthwesternregionssothatitwouldbeconvenienttodelivertheclonesbacktoXizang.YunyangCountywasfinallychosenduetoitsclimateandterrainresemblingthatofthecattle'snativehabitatandforitscattlebreedingtechnology.OVERCOMINGALTITUDECHALLENGETwocalvesofeachbreedwillbereturnedtoXizangthissummer,whiletheremainingfourwillberaisedtoadulthoodinYunyangCountyandtheirsemenwillbecollectedandfrozenforpreservation.BringingtheclonedcattlebacktoXizangmayposechallengesrelatedtotransportation,abruptchangesintheirlivingenvironmentandpotentialrisksofdiseases.Theseanimalsborninlow-altitudeChongqingwillbemovedgraduallytoXizangtohelpthemadapttothehighaltitudethere.UponarrivalinXizang,theclonedcattlewillbequarantined,carefullybredandcloselymonitoredtoensuretheirhealth.CLONINGINXIZANGScientistsplantocreatefavorableconditionsforcloningZhangmuandApeijiazacowsinXizangtofacilitatetherapidgrowthoftheherd.ExpertsbelievethatthecloningsuccesshaslaidafoundationforcloninginXizangandtrainingspecializedpersonnel,buttechnologicalobstaclesremaintobecracked,suchasobtainingoocytesandensuringthematurityofextracorporealembryos,amongotherfactors.STRENGTHENINGPROTECTIONINHABITATInadditiontostrivingforconditionsconducivetocloning,localauthoritiesinXizanghavealsosteppedupeffortsfortheprotectionofthenaturallyexistingherdinthehabitat,includingsettingupprotectionzones,creatingprotectioncooperatives,intensifyingdiseasecontrolandimprovinganimal-raisingmethods.AnewsurveyshowedthatnineApeijiazaandsixZhangmucalveswereborninXizangin2023.Researcherswillworktoboostthereproductivecapacityofthecattleandthesurvivalrateofthenewborns.ThisphototakenonJan.29,2024showsclonesofApeijiazacattleinYunyangCounty,southwestChina'sChongqingMunicipality.Chinesescientistsrecentlyconfirmedtheworld'sfirstsuccessfulcloningofendangeredcattlebreedsfoundinsouthwestChina'sXizangAutonomousRegion.TheZhangmuandtheApeijiaza,tworareyellowcattlebreedsnativetotheQinghai-XizangPlateau,arestrategicresourcesforChina,asthesebreedscanhelpresearchersbreedvarietieswelladaptedtotheharshhigh-altitudeenvironment.YunyangCountyinsouthwestChina'sChongqingMunicipalitysawthebirthoffourclonesofeachbreedandtheyarecurrentlyingoodcondition.(Xinhua/LiuShiping)ThisphototakenonJan.29,2024showsclonesofZhangmucattleinYunyangCounty,southwestChina'sChongqingMunicipality.Chinesescientistsrecentlyconfirmedtheworld'sfirstsuccessfulcloningofendangeredcattlebreedsfoundinsouthwestChina'sXizangAutonomousRegion.TheZhangmuandtheApeijiaza,tworareyellowcattlebreedsnativetotheQinghai-XizangPlateau,arestrategicresourcesforChina,asthesebreedscanhelpresearchersbreedvarietieswelladaptedtotheharshhigh-altitudeenvironment.YunyangCountyinsouthwestChina'sChongqingMunicipalitysawthebirthoffourclonesofeachbreedandtheyarecurrentlyingoodcondition.(Xinhua/LiuShiping)ThisphototakenonJan.29,2024showsclonesofZhangmucattleinYunyangCounty,southwestChina'sChongqingMunicipality.Chinesescientistsrecentlyconfirmedtheworld'sfirstsuccessfulcloningofendangeredcattlebreedsfoundinsouthwestChina'sXizangAutonomousRegion.TheZhangmuandtheApeijiaza,tworareyellowcattlebreedsnativetotheQinghai-XizangPlateau,arestrategicresourcesforChina,asthesebreedscanhelpresearchersbreedvarietieswelladaptedtotheharshhigh-altitudeenvironment.YunyangCountyinsouthwestChina'sChongqingMunicipalitysawthebirthoffourclonesofeachbreedandtheyarecurrentlyingoodcondition.(Xinhua/LiuShiping)Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.