Question: Other fluorescent proteins

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sophieall

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Sophieall
This may be a stupid question, but I have always been fascinated with the thought of regenerating limbs and especially having a green fluorescent protein glow. There are many types of fluorescent proteins, not just green. So why can't Axolotls carry different glow genes? Is GFP the only strain the will show under UV light? Glow fish and axolotls are very different, but they come in many different colors. I'm not saying axolotls should be dyed or injected in anyway, just curious. :D
 
My understanding (someone correct me if this is wrong) is that the GFP axolotls have been genetically modified and you would not naturally see axolotls with fluorescent proteins. It would depend on the genetic modification as to what glow genes they could show.
 
To the best of my understanding, the GFP axolotl was originally developed in Elly Tanaka's lab in Dresden, Germany for use in studying regeneration and its mechanisms. Unlike other animals sold in pet shops (glow-fish) with similar genetic modifications, the axolotl is very much a laboratory research animal and the introduction of GFP was for research purposes and not for novelty.
 
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So, y'all are saying that there could be other axolotl colors, depending on the strain of fluorescent protein and someone who really knew what they were doing.
 
There could and in fact i believe there are in laboratory facilities for research purposes. It certainly requires knowledge, materials and machinery that are not available to the public but largely restricted to research facilities. I would also add that someone who "knows what they are doing" and with an ounce of integrity and ethics would not release any of those research animals to the public like already happened with the GFP ones...that was a serious mistake.
 
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