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Gene Scene Investigation
02 November 2016

Gene Scene Investigation

Mutations in important genes cause serious problems during development, and provoke diseases like cancer. Sometimes though, revealing the timeline from faulty gene to catastrophe takes a little detective work. This zebrafish has a genetic mutation that eventually causes cancerous lesions – rips in the surface of its skin (coloured red and green here) which allow cancerous cells to spread deep into the tissue underneath (blue blobs). Oddly, many of the effects of the mutated gene, atp 1b1a, are on the fish’s kidneys. So where does the skin cancer come from? It turns out the mutant kidney can’t control ion levels in the fish’s bodily fluids, causing hypotonic stress. This makes the skin more prone to cancerous invasion – hinting at a link between similar genetic mutations and unexplained human cancers.

Written by John Ankers

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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