Miriam Scadeng1, Albert Kim2, David Julian Dubowitz1, Phil Hill3, Nathan Gray1, David Traver2, Ellen Breen4
1Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; 2Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; 3School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicester, UK; 4Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
The GFP reporter system in zebrafish revolutionized the study of localized gene expression involved in vertebrate development. This was largely due to the transparent nature of the developing zebrafish embryo allowing light to penetrate from the embryo. New interest in the genes that are responsible for the regeneration of neural and cardiac tissue in the adult zebrafish have generated the need for a new type of reporter system which does not depend on light. We present proof in principle data showing that MR visible ferritin could be used as a gene reporting system in adult zebrafish.