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CJ Cregg
Commodore
Joined: 05 Oct 2002
Posts: 1254
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 Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:22 am Key gene 'controls skin colour' |
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| Quote: | Key gene 'controls skin colour'
Scientists believe that studying the humble zebrafish may have helped solved the mystery of human skin colour.
A team at Penn State University has found just one tiny change in a key gene plays a major role in determining skin colour.
The finding, published in Science, may help explain why people of European descent have lighter skin than those from Africa.
It is hoped the research may lead to new ways to treat skin cancer.
Potentially, it may also lead to the development of new ways to modify skin colour without damaging it by tanning or using harsh chemical lighteners.
The genetic determination of human skin colour is one of biology's enduring mysteries.
Alterations in some of these genes are associated with disorders such as albinism, which causes very light skin, but also vision problems.
However, most of the genes responsible for normal differences in skin pigmentation remained unknown.
Good model
The gene identified by the Penn State team - called SLC24A5 - had not previously been suspected to be involved in pigmentation.
Zebrafish are ideal for research because they share many similar genes with humans.
They also have similar pigment cells, which, like humans, contain granules called melanosomes.
The researchers found a variant of the zebrafish, called golden, had fewer, smaller and less heavily pigmented melanosomes than normal fish.
They found the lighter pigmentation was caused by a mutation in the SLC24A5 gene which cuts production of a key protein.
Adding protein from the normal zebrafish resulted in fish with a darker colouring.
Next, the researchers analysed data from the human genome - and found a similar pattern.
Most human populations carried the same version of the SLC24A5 gene - but people with a European ancestry carried a variant with just one mutation.
This mutation appears, like the zebrafish, to result in fewer, smaller and lighter melanosomes.
Lighter skin
Further analysis showed that among people with mixed European and West African ancestry, those carrying the European form of the gene tended to have lighter skin.
The findings suggest that this single gene controls up to 38% of the colour range in this mixed population.
Researcher Dr Mark Shriver said the importance of the work extends beyond pigmentation.
"We know so little about the genetic and evolutionary architecture of human traits.
"We can not expect to use human genetics to understand complex diseases most effectively without first working out how fundamental characteristics, such as eye, hair, and skin colour, are determined.
"Working out the details of pigmentation with help from model systems like zebrafish is a great paradigm for seeking understanding of other complex diseases."
Dr Emma Knight, of Cancer Research UK, said: "The results of this research are intriguing but we shouldn't jump the gun and speculate about their implications for skin cancer.
"Much more research is needed to work out why Europeans have evolved a different version of SLC24A5 and what function this serves." |
Very Interesting stuff
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Brightstar82
Rear Admiral
Joined: 08 Apr 2005
Posts: 4394
Location: A Borg Cube....Where Else?
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| Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:51 am |
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Most definatly interesting i took up about all that in Biology in highschool. 
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:55 am |
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I believe more that it has to deal with the sun, and something happening to the chromosomes due to the sun, or something like that.
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oberon
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Joined: 26 Sep 2005
Posts: 106
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| Fri Dec 16, 2005 10:36 am |
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| Republican_Man wrote: | | I believe more that it has to deal with the sun, and something happening to the chromosomes due to the sun, or something like that. |
The how do you explain the variance in color of fish deeply submerged in water? 
It's obvious that skin color is controlled by a gene/genes along with everything else biotic. It's cool that they finally found it.
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Starbuck
faster...
Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 8715
Location: between chaos and melody
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| Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:27 pm |
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Skin color does have something to do with the sun mutating your melanin, but all in all this is very interesting, even though I'm not in bio anymore  I'm still interested in it. *sigh* I wish I could still be taking a bio instead of chem. I hate chem.
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LightningBoy
Commodore
Joined: 09 Mar 2003
Posts: 1446
Location: Minnesota, U.S.A.
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| Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:30 pm |
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| Starbuck wrote: | | Skin color does have something to do with the sun mutating your melanin |
So, how is it black children are born black, before being exposed to the sun? How is it White people can move to equatorial climates, and they still birth white children? Ect...
It's genetic, there's no other legitimate explanation.
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Starbuck
faster...
Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 8715
Location: between chaos and melody
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| Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:34 pm |
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I said something not everything.
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:43 pm |
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| LightningBoy wrote: | | Starbuck wrote: | | Skin color does have something to do with the sun mutating your melanin |
So, how is it black children are born black, before being exposed to the sun? How is it White people can move to equatorial climates, and they still birth white children? Ect...
It's genetic, there's no other legitimate explanation. |
Genetic, yes. But how did that gene happen? Because of the original position of the different skin colors after migratioin. That's why we have them, and it passes down from generation to generation.
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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Arellia
The Quiet One
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 4425
Location: Dallas, TX
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| Sat Dec 17, 2005 4:05 pm |
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*shrugs* I see it as genetic, evolution or specialization (I'm yet to decide which) as most things are. People from Africa required darker skin to deal with it...people from the caucassus mountains did not. Genetic, of course, as people with different skin tones also have different features (slanted eyes, more roundness, petitness...etc.)
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Sat Dec 17, 2005 4:12 pm |
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Adaptations, yes.
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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Mikado
Commander
Joined: 29 Jul 2003
Posts: 439
Location: *sigh* California. *grumble.*
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| Mon Dec 19, 2005 7:44 am Re: Key gene 'controls skin colour' |
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| CJ Cregg wrote: |
Potentially, it may also lead to the development of new ways to modify skin colour without damaging it by tanning or using harsh chemical lighteners. |
Does that mean that one day I'll be able to have bright neon green zebra stripes? :) 'Cause.. Y'know that'd be utterly awesome.
Seriously, I am curious if they mean that they are thinking they'll find a way to tan people's skin (or lighten) without harming it, only. Or if they mean they could eventually do fancy things with it.
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Hi, I'm Mikado.
Because it makes me giggle.
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