IDENTIFICATION OF SELECTED GAMMA-RAY INDUCED DEFICIENCIES IN ZEBRAFISH USING MULTIPLEX POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

The ease with which mutations can be generated in zebrafish makes this vertebrate an important resource for developmental genetics and genom e studies. We have developed a PCR-based screening method that allows the efficient identification of gamma-ray induced deficiencies targete d to selected sequences. We describe three mutants characteristic of o ur findings and show that these mutations include deletions and transl ocations that can affect as much as 1% of the genome. These deficienci es provide a basis for analyzing the functions of cloned zebrafish gen es using noncomplementation screens for point mutations induced by hig h-efficiency chemical mutagenesis.