Natures wonders: Zebra fish make sun screen (Introduction)

by David Turell @, Friday, May 15, 2015, 14:20 (3231 days ago) @ David Turell

Blocks some U-V light:-http://www.the-scientist.com//?articles.view/articleNo/42979/title/Fish-Make-Their-Own-Sun-Protection/-"Zebrafish (Danio rerio) have two conserved genes encoding enzymes that can make gadusol, an antioxidant and ultraviolet (UV) light-protective compound previously thought to be acquired from food sources, according to a study published this week (May 12) in eLife.-"In the latest study, researchers from Oregon State University (OSU) discovered that zebrafish themselves had the two enzymes necessary to make the molecule. The genes encoding the enzymes are conserved in amphibians, reptiles, and birds, but not mammals or coelacanths, suggesting that they were present in a common ancestor but lost in certain lineages. Although the genes differ from those encoding gadusol-synthesizing enzymes in algae and bacteria, they more closely resembled the algal genes, and may have been acquired in vertebrates via horizontal gene transfer."


Complete thread:

 RSS Feed of thread

powered by my little forum