Glowing Axolotl

[Kamil]

Hi,

please do not ask me about eggs or so! Anyway, have fun Very Happy

http://triturus.de/index.shtml?v_amex1

Best Greetings,

Kamil

[Chris Schouten]

If I didn't know any better I would have guessed they where treated with fluorecent paint.

Curious if they keep this when they get older

[Kamil]

Hi,

they are genetically engineered - so yes it keeps that way. It's like the GloFish but now with Axolotl :)
Though it's a german "invention" it is ilegal here to have them! But in the USA you can keep those Axolotls...

Best Greetings,

Kamil

[®ob]

Ik ben geen voorstander van genetisch geknutselde dieren  ??? :-\

[Mark]

hm yes. Axolotls genetically engineered to express green fluorescent protein (GFP). I've also seen mice and other vertebrates which were glowing in green. If it's for scientific purposes ok, but not if it is to make profit...

[®ob]

I've seen it in Fish before.

Hoped it never would happen with newts, but it did. They are even online for sale now... crazy world we live in!

[Kamil]

Hi,

these were produced in a Centre which works a lot with Axolotls. They research stuff like regeneration on them and this is a very useful tool! For keeping them in tank? I think it's cool somehow.

Best Greetings,

Kamil

[alibombali]

Ze zijn wel handig als de stoppen zijn doorgeslagen.....

[Kamil]

Ze zijn wel handig als de stoppen zijn doorgeslagen.....

And now in english :D

[petro pees]

Ze zijn wel handig als de stoppen zijn doorgeslagen.....

And now in english :D

I will try it,
Very usefull when the lightbol's are broken!???  :-\
Petro

[Sergé Bogaerts]

I remember that when the glowing fish were presented there have been questions in Parlement about it. In the Netherlands these fish  also are forbidden as I can remember, and if it is not we have a Party for Animal rights now in Parlement so they will jump on it if these animals would be sold in stores.

[Coen Deurloo]

Do these modifications harm the animals? I can imagine the constant light would stress them, but maybe they get used to it, since they never knew anything else. Speculation, speculation...

[Roy van Grunsven]

The use of these glowing proteins is widely used in research.
Every gene has a code in front of it that regulates when and where it is activated. For instance genes needed for regeneration are only active when regeneration occurs. It is impossible to see where which gene is activated. Thats where these glowing proteins come in handy. You can take the starting code of the regeneration enzym and use it as the startingcode for the gene that codes for this protien.
Now you can just whatch where the animal starts glowing and you know the other gene is also active.

Of course you'd want to test this first whith a starting code that you know is active. That gives animals like this.

People often react strongly to this but:
-is there an environmental risk?
-do these animals suffer from it?

I think both answers are no.
Personally I'm far more opposed to all the deformed goldfish you see in petshops.

[Sergé Bogaerts]

The EU forbids the import of transgene animals (there have been qustions asked in december 2003) unless a permission is given. So that means oif a trader wants to import and sell these fishes (or axolotls) within the EU there is a permission needed. So far no one has asked for a permission....,

[Kamil]

Hello,

the animals do not glow permanentaly, the are fluorescent to UV.
No one has asked for permission, but some tried it though. I can remember one case that a guy who wanted to get the GloFish was caught and punished bad. Nevertheless I recently read about them beeing sold - ilegally - in german petshops (speaking about GloFish).

Best Greetings,

Kamil