A team of Penn State University researchers have located a gene that plays a major role in determining human skin color. Ironically, the gene was discovered by studying color variations on the zebra fish, a common variety of tropical fish found in most pet stores.
Scientists has previously concentrated their studies on what causes albinism and other disorders but the gene that was responsible for normal skin color variations was never determined.
This study shows that a small variation in a particular gene can cause a difference in the skin color of humans and may explain why people of African ancestry have darker skin color than those people whose ancestors came from Europe.
The gene in question is called SLC24A5. Scientists study zebra fish because they have many genetic similarities to humans including similar pigment cells that contains granules called melanosomes.
The researchers found that some zebra fish with a color variant called 'golden' had a mutation in the SLC24A5 gene which caused less of a key protein to be produced by the fish's body. When scientists added the protein from a 'normal' zebra fish, darker coloring resulted.
Dr. Mark Shriver, one of the lead researchers of the study explained, 'Working out the details of pigmentation with help from model systems like zebra fish is a great paradigm for seeking understanding of other complex diseases.'
Researchers are hopeful that in addition to explaining racial differences in skin color, future studies in this area could help lead to a cure for skin cancer.
