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Subject Researchers Identify Human Skin Color Gene (Mutation).

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Original Message Ten years ago researchers embarked on a study of zebrafish--a quick breeding aquarium pet. While searching for cancer causing genes, they ended up isolating the gene that makes European skin white, thanks to the golden variant of the fish.

The genetic basis for human skin color has eluded scientists for years, with previous studies pointing to more than 100 different genes involved in the production of melanin--the pigment responsible for skin color and a natural sunblock. Cancer geneticist Keith Cheng at Pennsylvania State University and his team determined that the golden zebrafish--a lighter version of its "wild" cousin--has a genetic mutation that cuts short a protein critical to the production of melanin.

[link to www.scientificamerican.com]

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