Powerful techniques allow efficient generation and recovery of zebrafish mutations.
Ongoing genetic screens have identified over 7,000 mutations in zebrafish affecting genes that regulate developmental patterning, organogenesis, physiology and behavior. The functions of many of these genes are conserved among vertebrate groups. Thus, analysis of zebrafish mutations provides insights into gene functions in other vertebrates, including humans. The mission of the Zebrafish International Resource Center is to provide a central repository for wild-type and mutant strains of zebrafish and for materials and information about zebrafish research. Materials and zebrafish strains are distributed to the research community.