This web page was produced as an assignment for Genetics 564, an undergraduate capstone course at UW-Madison.
What are model organisms?
Model organisms are species that have undergone a wide array of studies. This is usually due to the organism having a relatively quick life cycle, ability to produce many offspring each generation, and that are easy to maintain and breed in a laboratory environment. One of the important aspects of model organisms is that they share many genes with humans, allowing for in-depth study of genes and diseases present in humans without having to account for the long generation times and ethical dilemmas present in studying humans. (1,2)
What model organism is best for studying ABCA4?
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a great model species not just for study of ABCA4 but also for many retinal diseases that plague humans. The Zebrafish eye is similar in many ways to the human eye, including similar ability for full color vision. Zebrafish also have a very fast retinal development time, less than a week post birth, and it has been established previously as the go to species for most retinal-based disease studies due to what has been previously stated and its rapid generation times. (3-5)
Discussion
Alongside the valuable nature of Zebrafish as a model species for retinal disease that has been shown here, I am choosing to use Zebrafish as a model species for ABCA4 study due to how conserved the ABCA4 gene is between humans and Zebrafish. This level of conservation is also impressive due to the distance between human and Zebrafish ABCA4 genes shown in the phylogeny page. Also the duplication of the ABCA4 gene in Zebrafish into ABCA4a and ABCA4b will allow for more interesting manipulations and study of the disease phenotype.
References
1. “What Are Model Organisms?” Facts, The Public Engagement Team at the Wellcome Genome Campus, 3 Mar. 2017, www.yourgenome.org/facts/what-are-model-organisms.
2. Addgenies, Various. “Five Popular Model Organisms.” Addgene Blog Share Science, blog.addgene.org/plasmids-101-five-popular-model-organisms.
3. Chhetri, J, et al. “Zebrafish—on the Move towards Ophthalmological Research.” Eye, vol. 28, no. 4, 2014, pp. 367–380., doi:10.1038/eye.2014.19.
4. Fadool, J. M., & Dowling, J. E. (n.d.). Zebrafish models of retinal development and disease. Retinal Development, 342–370. doi: 10.1017/cbo9780511541629.019
5. Markowski, Danny. “Danio Rerio (Rerio).” Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Danio_rerio/.
2. Addgenies, Various. “Five Popular Model Organisms.” Addgene Blog Share Science, blog.addgene.org/plasmids-101-five-popular-model-organisms.
3. Chhetri, J, et al. “Zebrafish—on the Move towards Ophthalmological Research.” Eye, vol. 28, no. 4, 2014, pp. 367–380., doi:10.1038/eye.2014.19.
4. Fadool, J. M., & Dowling, J. E. (n.d.). Zebrafish models of retinal development and disease. Retinal Development, 342–370. doi: 10.1017/cbo9780511541629.019
5. Markowski, Danny. “Danio Rerio (Rerio).” Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Danio_rerio/.