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The induction of a specific pigment cell type by total genomic DNA injected into the neural crest region of fish embryos of the genus Xiphophorus

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Summary

We report genetic transformation in an intact higher organism, i.e., in xiphophorine fish. The gene to be transferred (Tu) is responsible for the formation of T-melanophores in the platyfish and is involved in the formation of melanomas in platyfish-swordtail hybrids. After injection of Tu-donor DNA into the neural crest region of embryos from Tu-free fish, some of the recipients developed T-melanophores. In a few cases, one or two single T-melanophores were formed during late embryogenesis. In most cases, many T-melanophores developed in young fish and were arranged in several colonies or in a pattern. DNase-degraded Tu-donor DNA, Tu-free fish DNA, as well as DNA from E. coli and adenovirus-2, did not induce T-melanophores. When using DNA from different strains of Tu-donor fish which differed in a regulating gene linked to Tu, the percentages of fish showing T-melanophores paralleled the degree of phenotypic expression of the Tu gene in the DNA donor. The results suggest that the Tu gene has been successfully transferred together with the linked regulating gene.

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Author notes

  1. Jürgen Vielkind & Ursula Vielkind

    Present address: Environmental Carcinogenesis Unit, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, 601 West 10th Avenue, V5Z 1L3, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

  2. Hertraut Haas-Andela

    Present address: Institute of Human Genetics, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, D-6300, Giessen, Federal Republic of Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Genetics, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, D-6300, Giessen, Federal Republic of Germany

    Jürgen Vielkind, Hertraut Haas-Andela, Ursula Vielkind & Fritz Anders

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  1. Jürgen Vielkind
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  2. Hertraut Haas-Andela
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  3. Ursula Vielkind
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  4. Fritz Anders
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Additional information

Communicated by J. Schell

Part of this work has been done by H.H. for her doctoral thesis

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Vielkind, J., Haas-Andela, H., Vielkind, U. et al. The induction of a specific pigment cell type by total genomic DNA injected into the neural crest region of fish embryos of the genus Xiphophorus . Mol Gen Genet 185, 379–389 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334128

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334128

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