Texas A&M
COLLEGE STATION, Texas
Scientists at Texas A&M Uni
versity have successfully cloned
what is first calf
cloned from an adult bull, which is
. also the oldest animal ever cloned
a 21-year-old Brahman. Their
research could have enormous im
plications in the beef cattle indus
try and in the future applications
of cloning technology.
Researchers Jonathan Hill and
Mark Westhusin accomplished
the cloning of the bull, fittingly
named “Chance,” in a year-long
Chance’s offspring, “Sec
ond Chance,” was bom three
weeks ago and displays identical
markings'as his father and has
identical DNA, the researchers
say.
‘The owner* of Chance, who
arc from LaGrangc, Texas, want
ed to have their prized bull cloned
because of his unusually gentle
nature, and they considered the
cloning effort a good opportunity
to see if an identical copy of
Chance might also have such an
easy going disposition.” Hill said.
“Chance was great around people,
and he wa* in several TV commer
cials, performed hi the Houston
Rodeo and was even on The Late
Show with David Letterman,” Hill
added. "They want to see if Sec
ond Chance lives up to his heri
tage.”
Hill said the bull was unable to
reproduce naturally because of the
removal of both diseased testicles
two years ago. Therefore, he said,
cloning Chance was the only op
tion for preserving his genetics.
Scientists Clone First-Ever
“Second Chance is obviously
an intact male and should be able
to sire offspring when he reaches
puberty,” Hill confirmed. Chance
died a few months ago at age 21,
shortly before his DNA was used
to produce Second Chance. Hill
said there is considerable interest
in keeping track of Second
Chance throughout his lifetime
because of the age of the cells
used to clone him.
Last spring, scientists revealed
that the DNA of Dolly, the first
cloned sheep, had some character
istics of the older cells that were
used to generate her.
“The chromosomes, which
package the animal’s DNA, have
some special DNA at their tipi
called telomeres,” Hill explained.
"These small pieces of DNA
help to protect chromosomes from
damage. Very young animals have
long telomeres, but as the animal
ages, the telomeres ate worn
away. We should know in a month
or so if the telomeres of Second
Chance are like those of the
21-year-old bull used as the sour
ce of the.cclls for the cloning pro
cess. or ff they are more like those
of a normal newborn calf.”
Hill said it took 189 attempts
that is, transferring 189 cells into
189 different eggs before a
pregnancy ended in the delivery of
Second Chance.
Because Second Chance came
from the oldest animal cloned to
date, he has received intensive
monitoring and treatment since
birth by a team of veterinarians
and intensive care technicians at
the Texas A&M Large Animal
Hospital. Like many previously
cloned calves, at birth he dis
played some symptoms that re
sembled those seen in premature
human babies. However, Second
Chance is now in good health. Hill
said.
The successful cloning effort
could dramatically impact the
multi-billion dollar beef cattle in
dustry in Texas and throughout
the world.
“This could lead to new oppor
tunities in cattle breeding, and for
that matter, other animals," Hill
believes.
Hill is a veterinarian trained in
Australia and at Texas A&M who
used the cloning work as part of
his doctor of philosophy studies in
physiology with Wes thus in. He is
also a member of another research
team led by Westhusin that is in
volved in the Missyplicity Project,
the first-ever attempt to clone a
dog.
The Miisyplicity Project is a
2-year effort to produce the first
cloned dog. The anonymous spon
sortof die project have invested
$2.3 million to produce a clone of
their pet dog. Missy, a mixed
breed border collie. A team of
about 20 researchers is working
on the Missyplicity Project, and
some of the knowledge gained by
Second Chance is helping to ad
vance that research.
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 4, 1999-A3l
Bull
Maryland and Virginia
Returns Patronage
RESTON, Va. Maryland
and Virginia Milk Producers
Cooperative Association, Inc.
distributed $6.5 million today in
patronage dividends to its
members shipping milk in 1998.
The distribution includes 70
percent in cash—or 21 cents per
hundredweight —and 30
percent—or 9 cents —issued in
eight-year revolving fund
certificates. The profits were
generated prior to Maryland and
Virginia’s consolidation with
Carolina Virginia and were
distributed to 1,150 members in
Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Virginia, West Virginia and
Delaware.
By law, cooperatives are
required to return only 20 percent
in cash to its members, making
Maryland and Virginia’s 70
percent distribution 3Vi times
higher than required. The
cooperative distributed 80 percent
last year and averaged 57 percent
over the last ten years.
1998 EARNINGS TOTAL 75
CENTS/CWT
This brings the 1998
cooperative earnings to 75 cents
per hundredweight in cash above
Federal Order market prices. In
addition to patronage dividends.
this total includes over-order
premiums, quality premiums and
profits of raw milk sales.
“With drought conditions and
volatile milk prices, we hope this
cash distribution will help ease
the financial challenges dairy
farmers are facing,” said
President Jack Hardesty, a dairy
farmer from Berryville, Va.
General Manager Robert Shore
added, “The
excellent financial condition
coupled with a good year for
divisional operations contributed
to another good year of patronage
dividends. Maryland and Virginia
has been fortunate to continue its
long-standing record of financial
success.”
Maryland and Virginia Milk
Producers, headquartered in
Reston, Va., is a milk marketing
and processing cooperative which
markets milk for over 1,560 dairy
farmers in ten states from
Pennsylvania to Alabama. The
cooperative includes Marva Maid,
a milk processing division in
Newport News, Va.; a
manufacturing division in Laurel,
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office in Charlotte, N.C.
Lancaster
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