


A cold fish

Fish species swap genes in a way that looks a bit like genetic engineering

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As you pointed out, the fish anti-freeze is not news, but one of its applications may be. Some years ago, the Canadian Department of Agriculture spliced the fish anti-freeze gene into a wheat plant, and that plant will now withstand several degrees of frost without damage.

Ulf Jonsson

Dear All,

I am not at all an expert in this field but amazed but this article. Very interesting indeed. It gave me a lot to think about.


This is quite interesting that three different, non ancestor related fish would have the same proteins. However, I feel that the authors' proposed way of the genetic transfer seems a bit far-fetched. It seems unlikely that a fertilized egg would allow/participate in genetic transfer, especially from a different species of sperm. I say this not to devalue the research, but to state that I feel there is probably a different method of genetic transfer.While the virus method of genetic transfer seems unlikely, it seems more probable because the virus could attach to differing species of fish through the virus' evolutionary adaptions.


To the best of my recollection, that Antarctic fish with antifreeze gene can be found only in remote areas close to Antarctic, like South Georgia Island. The very reason it developed such a trait is because cold currents disconnected its populations from warm waters so antifreeze was developed in relative isolation. Supposedly that happened when all other fishes died out of the climat cooling in the area. If something similar happened to ancient schools of herring and smelt that would mean that one species developed the trait while other one did not die out yet. Then the gene swap mechanism described in the report might take place. But the question though is what is probability of such a situation versus independant gene mutation? Is simultaneous survival of two species with one of them developing the antifreeze gene is more probable than independant development of the trait?


A viral mode of gene transfer also seems more plausible to me because viruses both exchange DNA with their hosts and infect multiple species. I'd be interested in the survival rates for fish eggs that have been fertilized or otherwise incorporated genes from different species. If there are survivors, I would expect to see other symptoms of the hybridization besides this single antifreeze gene.


watchingchina wrote:July 10, 2008 15:47 As you pointed out, the fish anti-freeze is not news, but one of its applications may be. Some years ago, the Canadian Department of Agriculture spliced the fish anti-freeze gene into a wheat plant, and that plant will now withstand several degrees of frost without damage. ********************Unfortunately this experiment had to be discontinued because the wheat had also happened to feature another bizarre trait of propagating itself through laying eggs. As such it could have easily turned into aquatic invasive species and so after careful deliberation it was decided that the crop would have to be destroyed. I don't blame you for omission of this critical detail as you probably did not know about it being so deeply immersed in watching China.


Very interesting, all this horizontal gene transfer coupled with the sheer number of dice rolls seriously underminds the anti-genetic engineering movement. Perhaps most every engineered modification possible has already been tried and rejected by nature.


It is great to examine each side of a coin so thank you for writing this article. However this article stems on many assumptions that must align just right for magic to occure. If we are going to consider magic and the farfetched, as objective scientist should we not step back and take a hard serious look at how intelligent design may give us another theory to consider?


it could be horizontal transfer, or bacteria, or virus OR...or it could be simply intelligent design! imagine god sitting in His laboratory and decides that he doesn't want to make different proteins (may be watching a ball game or something) and he just puts the same protein in all three species..bam! easy isn't it?


A lot of things looked like intelligent design back in 1908, even more in 1808, but a logical answer is always available for those curious enough to think it through. ^_~That being said, that horizontal transfer sound fishy, there may be some other way.


I'm not saying intelligent design is wrong, just that you never see such obvious "strings". God is more clever than that. ^_~


This is a great and interesting article and I would encourage the author to conduct further studies. this could be a clue as the diversity of certain fish stock and perhaps part of the problems with aquiculture and diseases.Keep up the good work, I an especially interested in Oncorhynchus mykiss and how they have evolved.


Hey there...did CHN really do this kind of experiment? Or the wheat really LAY EGGS?

k..comeon and show me how....

I don't know how did you get these imformations. But I want you to prove all you said is true...

and one thing: Did lay egges connect to aquatic invasive ?

GM and G-engineering can let human to write what they want and let all of them to b true by useing the power of nature. and now human is stopped in evolution. and now G-engineering appeared to solve this problem. there is still a long way to go. And the benefit always get on very well with danger and risks.

I'm a Chinese and I know that China has an experiment like that. But we succeeded.


Grettir;I believe it's the specificity of the gene which rules out parallel evolution. Considering the vast libraries of retrovirus genes which are now being uncovered in our own genome, it seems possible that a complex sequence of gene pick-up and transfer by virus might be a possibility. Especially given the huge numbers of new viruses being revealed in sea water by shotgun genetic surveys.


As far as Intelligent Design goes, since about 99% of all species are now extinct, there's a great case to be made for Stupid Design.


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