Skin Cancer in Geckos Through the SPINT1 Gene

The SPINT1 gene in geckos leads to a mutation in coloring in the Lemon Frost tumors. This gene is also found to have tumor formation in fish, mice, and humans. In addition, the gene is a very strong inhibitor specific for an activator that is involved in the regulation of injured tissues. This means that if the gene were to be mutated, the skin would not be a certain color and would be completely different.  This mutation causes the overproduction of white skin cells which gives geckos a frostier appearance and the likely chance of contracting a tumor. If a tumor were to form, it would grow into large bulges that would make it very difficult for the lizard to move. If infected, it would be ruptured and would then slowly kill the lizard in the coming years. 

Mr. Frosty, a studied gecko was found to have spots of white skin and was found to develop tumors due to a single gene. This is similar in humans because it is related to the implication in the skin cancer melanoma. Researchers had to uncover the gene responsible for the tumors by collecting the lizards' saliva and testing their DNA. Mr. Frosty was bred with different female leopard geckos which resulted in over 900 lizards in a single colony. The DNA was then tested and found to have more than 80% of the reptiles to have developed tumors made of white skin cells before they were 5 years old. The SPINT1 gene was revealed to have been responsible for mutation which was also an important gene for the large tumor formation. 

it's a nice day for a white lizard

There is a lot of research and studies currently going on involving the genome editor CRISPR. However, until now there hasn't been any success with editing lizards and snakes. In, Science Magazine, Jon Cohen briefly describes how researchers were able to successfully edit the pigmentation in lizards. Usually CRISPR is injected into a fertilized egg but with these 21 lizards it was injected into 146 immature eggs. This was done because when a lizard egg is fertilized a shell is formed around it making it difficult to inject CRISPR through it without causing any harm to the embryo. Another complication is that lizards can store sperm in their ovum for an undefined amount of time. Four albino offspring were reported from these brown lizards.

Although this is a new technique, researchers do believe this will work with other lizards and snakes. It's still a little odd to think of researchers editing genes before the egg is even fertilized. The purpose of this research is for developmental genetics. Until now, lizards and snakes were left out of the research.