A hemophilia model in zebrafish: analysis of hemostasis.

We have developed artificial hemophilia in zebrafish by treating them with copper and measured their clotting function by a newly developed sensitive clotting time assay. The clotting function can be detected rapidly and reliably in 30 hr larvae and in adult fish by measuring the blood clotting time. We have used this assay to screen wild type zebrafish and identified fish with prolonged clotting time. This verifies the usefulness of this assay in future screening for recessive hemostasis defects generated by chemical and radiation mutagenesis methods.