Photocarcinogenesis in Xiphophorus hybrid models

The poeciliid fish genus Xiphophorus provides important models for investigating the etiology and genetics of sunlight-induced melanoma. Interspecific hybrids generated among platyfish and swordtails have been used as genetic tumor models, particularly for cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM), for more than 6 decades. Oncogene and tumor suppressor gene involvement in a variety of spontaneous and carcinogen-induced tumors has been and continues to be extensively studied. Select hybrids develop melanoma spontaneously or after acute or chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Many scientists believe that the etiology of CMM and particularly its initiation is different from other types of sunlight-induced skin cancers, and may involve free radical chemistry rather than the direct absorption of UVB by DNA. Xiphophorus offers a unique platform to scrutinize this question and determine the types of DNA damage that are involved, the solar wavelength ranges that are important, and the role of DNA repair genes in early tumorigenesis. The diverse photochemical and photobiological responses observed in the different Xiphophorus species and interspecies hybrids suggest that heritable traits governing DNA damage induction and repair may be involved in the susceptibility of Xiphophorus hybrids to melanomagenesis.