The
Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center (XSGC) was originally established in the early 1930’s by Dr. Myron Gordon at Cornell University following several collecting trips to Mexico and Central America. There, he collected fish to determine if
Xiphophorus from natural populations could develop pigment cell abnormalities or whether the observed melanoma was a consequence of hybridization between domesticated platyfish and swordtails. In 1938, Gordon moved the XGSC to the New York Aquarium and then to the American Museum of Natural History on Coney Island. Dr. Gordon established one of the original animal models to show genetic inheritance of cancer called the Gordon-Kosswig cross which is still used today.
After the sudden passing of Dr. Gordon in 1959, Dr. Klaus Kallman, who was formerly Dr. Gordon’s doctoral student, took over as Director of the Center. He moved the center to the Osborn Laboratory of Marine Sciences at the New York Aquarium in 1968 where he continued to study and collect
Xiphophorus to substantially expand the Stock Center from 6 to 22 species with over 60 pedigreed lines. Dr. Kallman served as the XGSC Director for 35 years until his retirement in 1992. He then transferred the
Xiphophorus lines to Texas State University over a period of 3 years under the direction of Dr. Ronald Walter. During his 27-year tenure, Dr. Walter, in collaboration with Dr. Manfred Schartl, established the first
Xiphophorus genome utilizing
X. maculatus. Over time, he extensively used interspecies hybrids for gene mapping resulting in robust
Xiphophorus gene maps, and now whole genomes. Thus, Dr. Walter’s research helped solidify the role of
Xiphophorus as a genetic model to address a range of complex genetic questions including those associated with human disease.
The above is from
https://imls.txst.edu/about-us.html
The site has changed a lot since I discovered it over 20 years ago. One of the things I read on the site which I cannot find today was the fact that for scientific research and the use of Platys requires that all of the research have identical fish genetically speaking. The Center has been breeding specific lines of fish such that today they are identical to the fish decades ago. This was done by breeding brothers and sisters over the years. This contradicted everything I though I knew about genetics.
But this project has been central to the understanding of melanomas.
