Abstract: Disclosed are transgenic fish, and a method of making transgenic fish, which express transgenes in stable and predictable tissue- or developmentally-specific patterns. The transgenic fish contain transgene constructs with homologous expression sequences. Also disclosed are methods of using such transgenic fish. Such expression of transgenes allow the study of developmental processes, the relationship of cell lineages, the assessment of the effect of specific genes and compounds on the development or maintenance of specific tissues or cell lineages, and the maintenance of lines of fish bearing mutant genes.

Abstract: The present invention utilizes fluorescent lipids, particularly quenched phospholipid or cholesterol analogues, to facilitate screening for phenotypes representing perturbations of lipid processing; screening for genetic mutations that lead to disorders of phospholipid and/or cholesterol metabolism; and screening of compounds designed to treat disorders of phospholipid and/or cholesterol metabolism.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an expression vector of mud loach growth hormone gene and a fast-growing transgenic mud loach transformed with the expression vector. Also disclosed herein is an expression vector containing &bgr;-actin gene regulation site of mud loach which is constructed for expression of useful genes in fishes. The transgenic mud loaches transformed with the expression vector of mud loach growth hormone gene show growth rate of 25 times higher than that of normal mud loaches.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of screening an agent for activity using teleosts. Methods of screening an agent for angiogenesis activity, toxic activity and an effect cell death activity in teleosts are provided.

Abstract: Animals are produced following injection of adult cumulus or fibroblast cell nuclei into enucleated oocytes. The invention provides a method for cloning an animal by directly inserting an adult somatic cell nucleus into a recipient enucleated oocyte. Preferably, the nucleus is inserted by microinjection and, more preferably, by piezo electrically-actuated microinjection. The oocyte is activated prior to, during, or up to about 6 hours after insertion of the nucleus, by electroactivation or exposure to a chemical activating agent, such as Sr2+. The activated renucleated oocyte is allowed to develop into an embryo and is transplanted to a host surrogate mother to develop into a live offspring.

Abstract: A novel and efficient method for production of a transgenic animal is developed. This invention provides a method for production of a novel transgenic animal comprising the steps of introducing a foreign gene into testis of an animal, selecting transfected spermatocytes, spermatids or spermatozoa in which the foreign gene was introduced using a fluorescence marker gene as an indicator and fertilizing an unfertilized oocyte or ovum with the transfected spermatocyte, spermatid or spermatozoa.

Abstract: This invention is a transgenic fish that expresses an amino acid sequence (either peptide or protein) under control of a chemical substance when the chemical substance is supplied to the fish. The protein will preferably be a heterologous protein, such as a protein useful as a pharmaceutical product in humans, or animals. The chemical substance may be a hormone or hormone mimic, such as a steroid, thyroid, retinoid and vitamin D. Especially preferred are fish responsive to estrogens and having estrogen responsive elements in the regulatory sequences for a heterologous protein. The transgenic fish may express a desired heterologous protein in a specific tissue such as a particular organ, especially preferred fish expresses a heterologous protein or peptide in the liver. Another preferred fish expresses a protein or peptide in the egg.

Abstract: The present invention provides transgenic fish whose somatic and germ cells contain a genomically integrated bacteriophage lambda-derived transgene construct. The transgene construct can include an excisable test nucleic acid sequence containing a heterologous mutation target nucleic acid sequence that is detectable via bioassay in a bacterial cell into which the test nucleic acid has been introduced. The frequency of mutations in the mutation target nucleic acid sequence following exposure of the transgenic fish to one or more potentially mutagenic agents can thus be evaluated.

Abstract: This invention relates to transgenic fish containing a humanized insulin gene which has been altered to secrete human insulin and its use in the treatment of diabetes. In the transgenic fish of the present invention, the fish insulin gene has been modified to code for human insulin gene while leaving the regulatory sequences of fish insulin gene intact. Islet transplantation may provide the meticulous glycemia control required in the treatment of diabetes. The islet tissue of the present invention offers an inexpensive and a nearly unlimited supply of human insulin-producing tissue and therefore, may be useful in the treatment of diabetes. In this regard, an improved method of mass isolation of islet tissue is provided by the present invention. The present invention also provides the use of the humanized insulin gene to promote growth in fish.

Abstract: Novel means have been discovered for increasing the resistance of an animal host (including humans) to diseases caused by intracellular bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. The infection treated may, for example, be equine infectious anemia, or infection by the human immunodeficiency virus. Novel means have also been found for treating tumors Augmentation of the host's defenses against infectious diseases or tumors is achieved by "arming" the host's cells with an exogenous gene encoding a natural or synthetic lytic peptide. For example, the transfection of hematopoietic stem cells and embryonic cells will produce animals with enhanced disease resistance; and transfection of TIL (tumor infiltrating lymphocytes) cells or other cells can be used in the treatment of tumors. Genes coding for a cecropin or other native or synthetic lytic peptide can be transferred and stably expressed in mammalian, bony fish, other vertebrate, and other animal cells.

Abstract: Sockeye salmon growth hormone genes Types 1 and 2, and sockeye histone and metallothionein gene promoters have been isolated and sequenced. Terminator sequences for the growth hormone gene have been found. Vectors containing these promoter and terminator sequences (and intermediate sequences) have been prepared and used to transform fish egg cells. Transformed fish egg cells have been grown into transgenic fish. In the case of inserted full-length growth hormone gene, both accelerated growth and early smoltification were observed. An aspect found beneficial is to combine homologous fish metallothionein or histone gene promoter with fish gene, preferably growth hormone gene, terminator in the same vector, for preparing transgenic fish.