This web page was produced as an assignment for an undergraduate course at Davidson College.

Science Behind the Fluorescence Fish

 

The GloFish™ being discussed here was made to fluoresce red by inserting a gene from a sea anemone into its genome. By designing a zebrafish to fluoresce all the time, the scientists planned to then add in a "switch" that would turn off the fluorescence (www.glofish.com, 2004). This "switch" would be triggered by pollutants found in the habitat in which the zebrafish lived (www.glofish.com, 2004). While the original idea for the GloFish™ was to use it as a detection method against pollutants in their natural habitats, once the scientists discovered that the general population was also interested in their glowing fish, the idea came about to offer GloFish™ to the general public (www.glofish.com, 2004).

While the idea to genetically modify pets to fluoresce is relatively new, the use of fluorescence in science, along with how to make an animal fluoresce has been around for 10-20 years. The original idea for the use of fluorescence in science came from Prasher, et al. describing the primary structure of the Aequorea victoria green-fluorescent protein (Prasher, 1992). This paper described the exact coding sequence of the green-fluorescent protein (GFP) that enables the A. victoria to turn green. Once this was understood, it was only a matter of years until the idea came up to use GFP as a marker in an organism.

By inserting the cDNA of the Aequorea victoria GFP into another organism, the organism would then begin making the protein that would allow the animal to turn green (Chalfie, 1994). The interesting thing about GFP is that it forms a barrel or lantern structure with the green emmitting chromophore in the middle (Manning, 1997). GFP is also very versitile because it requires no outside substrates or cofactors are needed (Chalfie, 1994). Since GFP is self-contained in its fluorescing capabilities, it allows this protein to be inserted into other organisms and still fluoresce.

 

Bernd's Home Page

Biology Main Page

 

 

© Copyright 2004 Department of Biology, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035
Send comments, questions, and suggestions to William Wood at wiwood@davidson.edu