Transgenetic fish

[Woodsy]

I just read an article talking about the availibility of transgenetic fish in the US. What do you guys think about genetically modifying fish to produce unnatural colours? Work is currently being undertaken in Taiwan but it seems as though the US will be following close behind in putting these fish on the market. People are currently paying US$17.40 retail for Rice Minows that floures under a black light. What happens if they are set loose in your waterways?

 

[tjudy]

They would not likely survive. The technology used to produce the transgenic fish was developed in association with thr study of gene therapy. I have seen transgenic fish available through research supply catlogs, but they are a lot more expensive than the price you quote. I have not seen any show up in pet stores yet. I have also not seen the rice fish. There is a transgenic zebra danio.

 

[jonah]

I was just showing them to my son this evening. I received an Aquatic Eco-Systems, Inc. catalog in the mail yesterday with these weird looking zebra danios on the cover. As I leafed through the catalog I found a page showing the info on these fish. No price listed, but they're supposed to be available in Spring '03. The danio is crossed with a jellyfish to get this odd glowing color. They're available in red or green and they're sterile.

There's also a killifish, Oryzia latipes available in green.

Just an oddity, I don't think I'd ever buy any. It's more of an interest from the scientific side than the fishkeeping side.

They might have pictures on their website:
www.aquaticeco.com

I couldn't find any, but I wasn't looking very hard.

 

[Woodsy]

Like I said, I read it in the paper today. You might be able to find the article on www.theage.com.au It was in a section called A3, and the article was titled 'Something fishy about that glow' by Jason Dean.

I have done some study on the type of DNA tagging they are using but I am by no means an expert. Fluorescent protiens (from jellyfish and corals) were used to tag DNA molecules in fish hearts to monitor their growth, and since fish and humans share some similar characteristics in their DNA, understanding of how the human heart opperates can be achieved. However, when these fish bred it was found that the fluorescent protien could be found in every cell of their bodies.
The Taiwan company, Taikong, will market them as 'Night Pearls' and will also develop a whole rang of products for them, including tanks set up with black lights.
It's interesting to note that they have only been able to sterilise 90% of these transgenetic fish, and they think that that is safe enough. If you ask me 10% is still a large enough percentage to prevent selling them to the world if there is no evidence on the long term effects of genetic modification, and what it could mean if some of that 10% was set loose in say, South America.....

 

[Randall]

Genetically Engineered Fish

Dear Woodsy,

Thank you for bringing this potential import to our attention. I surely share some of your concerns, although not for fear that Frankenstein-fashioned fish will contaminate US waterways. As Ted states, their chances for survival in the wild here are poor.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of an oddball novelty that would probably do very well in the US market, especially among those who know little or nothing about ornamental fish and who could care less about them and their well being. I can see these fluorescent fish appealing to the market here en mass as kind of a novelty fad, with absolutely no regard for the animals themselves.

I was able to locate the article you mention written by Jason Dean, staff reporter for "The Wall Street Journal," here: http://www.mongabay.com/external/glowing_fish.htm. The article contains a proprietary color image.

Alas, I don't know what to make of these genetically engineered fish other than to comment that their mass production and mass marketing to the aquarium trade does not offer the hobby any real knowledge...only a cheap temporary thrill.

All the best,

Randall Kohn

 

[tjudy]

I think that the coolest thing in that article is the use of a spider gene in goats to create a milk that can be refined and spun into super strength suture thread. That's COOL!!!!

I will have to admit that I just cannot get on the 'no genetic engineering' bandwagon. I do not really see aproblem with it so long as proper precautions are taken.

One misconception is that the genes that are being inserted into organisms are 'designed'. In fact, they are genes that already exist, and we are simply inserting them into a new genome. The potential good this type of technology may eventually enable us to do is staggering!

Imagine a time when a child is born diabetic, and with a simple injection to the pancreas we can give that that child the genes to make insulin. We could cure genitic disease rather than just treat it.

We are a long way from that being a reality, but the first steps in getting there include the creation of transgenic fish. A fish is a vertebrate animal! We are getting closer every day! Until recently we could only do this in bacteria, protists, plants and a few invertebrates. An amphibian will most likely be next (if it has not been done already), and a mammal will not be too far behind.

Do I think that we should be using this technology to make pets? No... but if the animals are going to be made, and what is ultimately going to occur is the development of a cure for genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis, Huntington's Disease, hemophilia, Tay Sach's, diabetes...... then I can live with a few transgenic fish at PetSmart.

 

[jonah]

Imagine a time when a child is born diabetic, and with a simple injection to the pancreas we can give that that child the genes to make insulin. We could cure genitic disease rather than just treat it.

If my 11 year old son Kevin could go the rest of his life without finger pricks and insulin shots I'd buy every transgenetic fish in the shop. If people could see their own little boys roll their eyes into the back of their heads and pass out on the floor because of a sudden blood sugar drop they might not be so hot against genetic research.

Sorry if I sound angry, I'm not, but we've been living with diabetes for 4 years now and it still breaks my heart to see him sick. :cry:

 

[Randall]

Genetic Engineering

Dear Ted and Jonah,

Please don't misunderstand my position, and kindly allow me to explain further.

Although the subject may be contraversial, I believe genetic research is a good thing, especially where potential medical applications are concerned, because the knowledge afforded may someday be of great benefit to the public good. The key word here is knowledge.

Genetically altering fish species so that they literally glow in the dark and can be mass marketed as a freakish novelty to those who don't know any better and who could care less about the animals they are purchasing, to my mind, does not afford any real knowledge nor benefit to society. This brand of exploitation does, however, make a slew of money for the manufacterer(s).

Thank you.

Randall Kohn

 

[Woodsy]

Likewise. I don't mean to sound as though I am against genetic research, my position is quite the opposite. I am doing a degree in Biochemistry/Biotechnology and this kind of stuff is what we're being tought to understand in order to put it into practical use, and I agree, the possibilities for medical application are endless. The question I pose is that have they really thought about possible implications to the environment and it's inhabitants? Like you say, these fish probably wouldn't last long in the US waterways, but what happens when they die? What happens if other native fish eat them- probably nothing, but have they tested it? Does it undergo food chain magnification- probably not, but how do they know for sure? There is a lake not to far from my place here in Melbourne (if you don't know, Melbourne gets pretty cold) that is slightly heated by a nearby power station, and thus supports convicts and rivulatus because someone couldn't bring themselves to cull them. Have a look at where Melbourne is on the map, and tell me that it is not possible that these fish could not possibly thrive in somewhere like Florida if someone finds themeselves wanting to get rid of their transgenic fish 'humanely'.

 

[jonah]

Good point. Florida already has a lot of non-native orphans in it's waters. As expensive as these fish are now it's not likely that they would be turned loose anywhere, but if the price drops enough they might become common. I don't think a glow in the dark fish would last long in our bass infested waters though.

 

[tjudy]

If you could get them to glow without a black light (they do not glow under normal light), I would be seriously interested getting into the 'bait' industry :lol: ....

Just kidding.. that is the definite way to get them introduced. I think that introductions of alien species is a far larger problem than transgenic species.. but I see your point and agree that noone knows what will happen if they get out.

I do not think biological magnification would be an issue. That process generally involves a toxin that builds up in the tissues of organisms higher in the food chain. The proteins that are causing the glow are not toxins, and the would be biochemically destroyed by the digestive process. Most boilogical magnification is associated specifically with lipid soluble compounds like chloroflorocarbons and DDT.