Glofish -- If you bred a green and a pink one, what color

[MyCatsDrool]

would you get? Or a yellow and a pink....or a yellow and a green?


will they cross breed in colors? is there a dominant gene coloration?

 

[confusion]

I suspect there's some level of genetic chance involved in which color will be passed on to the offspring, but I'm pretty sure there won't be any blending of colors.

 

[fish 'n' fries]

I wondered that too...they're different proteins from two different animals...(red fluorescent protein from a coral and green FP from jellyfish) so I would assume two different genes...but I don't know the precise genetics. If they are two different genes, you would be able to get offspring with both genes--who knows what the color would be. I wondered myself since my danio school is a mix of transgenic and "regular". Of course mine's a community tank so there are plenty of volunteers to eat any eggs that may form...

 

[coldmachineUK]

Sounds like the bronze and albino cory scenario: one colour or the other, but not a mix.

 

[jsoong]

FAIK, each colour is a single specific foreign gene inserted into the fish. It is likely that there is no dominance as the genes are not naturally related. If there is equal expression of the genes, then it is possible to have offsprings that have both coloured proteins. What colour the fish will end up is hard to say, likely some mottled brown/grey, but you can only tell by experimenting.

BTW - I don't know if this is true in the US. But in Canada, Glofish that were available were treated so they are sterile (so as not to contaminate the enviroment ..... more likely so you have to buy the fish from the suppliers ..... we are way too cold to support Zebra danio in any natural body of water!). If so, you won't be able to breed them at all.

 

[QTOFFER]

jsoong is correct in that there is no dominance regarding the red and green fluorescent genes in Glofish.

The scientists that created these fish placed a fish myoglobin promoter in front of the jellyfish or anemone genes. This engineered DNA was injected into fertilized fish eggs and randomly inserted itself into the fish' chromosomes. Because of the myoglobin promoter, the foreign gene will express only in skeletal muscle - producing the flourescent protein. The protein is harmless and no fish suffered any pain or distress because the initial gene transfer was carried out in fertilized eggs. The fluorescent protein genes are then passed down to offspring like any other.

I've worked with both of these proteins in the lab - they are common markers for gene expression. When the green and red fluorescent proteins co-express in the same tissue, the result is yellow.

 

[beepboop]

I some glofish the other day that were mixed. They had red on the top of their heads, a green spine, and an orange.

I've seen others that end up looking yellow with a greenish spine.

 

[redruckus]

i know that when they "breed" glowfish they just take the fish they use for it a daino or what ever and add the flouresent pigment protien to the egg so they grow with this pigment.. so jsoong is right in a way every fish treated becomes sterile no mater what so it is imposible to breed them its the same idea with pink and blue painted tetras only the white ones who havent been treated will reproduce

 

[Crepe]

You get lawsuit colored, because apparently what fish do naturally in well kept tanks is somehow violating the vicarious ownership of ruthless corporations.

I honestly have no idea lol.

 

[severum mama]

Holy thread resurrection, Batman!

 

[Joyler]

Holy thread resurrection, Batman!

Haha...ya this one came Waaaaay outta left field! love it