Hooked! Modeling human disease in zebrafish

Zebrafish--on the move towards ophthalmological research

Millions of people are affected by visual impairment and blindness globally, and the prevalence of vision loss is likely to increase as we are living longer. However, many ocular diseases remain poorly controlled due to lack of proper understanding of the pathogenesis and the corresponding lack of effective therapies. Consequently, there is a major need for animal models that closely mirror the human eye pathology and at the same time allow higher-throughput drug screening approaches. In this context, zebrafish as an animal model organism not only address these needs but can in many respects reflect the human situation better than the current rodent models. Over the past decade, zebrafish have become an established model to study a variety of human diseases and are more recently becoming a valuable tool for the study of human ophthalmological disorders. Many human ocular diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration have already been modelled in zebrafish. In addition, zebrafish have become an attractive model for pre-clinical drug toxicity testing and are now increasingly used by scientists worldwide for the discovery of novel treatment approaches. This review presents the advantages and uses of zebrafish for ophthalmological research.

Excess PLAC8 promotes an unconventional ERK2-dependent EMT in colon cancer

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcriptional program is characterized by repression of E-cadherin (CDH1) and induction of N-cadherin (CDH2), and mesenchymal genes like vimentin (VIM). Placenta-specific 8 (PLAC8) has been implicated in colon cancer; however, how PLAC8 contributes to disease is unknown, and endogenous PLAC8 protein has not been studied. We analyzed zebrafish and human tissues and found that endogenous PLAC8 localizes to the apical domain of differentiated intestinal epithelium. Colon cancer cells with elevated PLAC8 levels exhibited EMT features, including increased expression of VIM and zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), aberrant cell motility, and increased invasiveness. In contrast to classical EMT, PLAC8 overexpression reduced cell surface CDH1 and upregulated P-cadherin (CDH3) without affecting CDH2 expression. PLAC8-induced EMT was linked to increased phosphorylated ERK2 (p-ERK2), and ERK2 knockdown restored cell surface CDH1 and suppressed CDH3, VIM, and ZEB1 upregulation. In vitro, PLAC8 directly bound and inactivated the ERK2 phosphatase DUSP6, thereby increasing p-ERK2. In a murine xenograft model, knockdown of endogenous PLAC8 in colon cancer cells resulted in smaller tumors, reduced local invasion, and decreased p-ERK2. Using MultiOmyx, a multiplex immunofluorescence-based methodology, we observed coexpression of cytosolic PLAC8, CDH3, and VIM at the leading edge of a human colorectal tumor, supporting a role for PLAC8 in cancer invasion in vivo.

Zebrafish: a model vertebrate suitable for the analysis of human genetic disorders

Zebrafish is a popular model vertebrate because of its conservation of a significant number of morphological and physiological processes in vertebrate organogenesis. A number of zebrafish mutants isolated from chemical mutagenesis screens exhibit characterized morphological defects that often resemble the symptoms of human genetic disorders. Recent innovations in genome-editing technologies, such as transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN) and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system, enable us to investigate the loss-of-function phenotypes of developmentally regulated genes in zebrafish. This review highlights recent advances in reverse genetic technologies for zebrafish and presents possible applications of zebrafish for the study of human genetic disorders.

Zebrafish as an innovative model for neuroendocrine tumors

Tumor models have a relevant role in furthering our understanding of the biology of malignant disease and in preclinical cancer research. Only few models are available for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), probably due to the rarity and heterogeneity of this group of neoplasms. This review provides insights into the current state-of-the-art of zebrafish as a model in cancer research, focusing on potential applications in NETs. Zebrafish has a complex circulatory system similar to that of mammals. A novel angiogenesis assay based on the injection of human NET cell lines (TT and DMS79 cells) into the subperidermal space of the zebrafish embryos has been developed. Proangiogenic factors locally released by the tumor graft affect the normal developmental pattern of the subintestinal vessels by stimulating the migration and growth of sprouting vessels toward the implant. In addition, a description of the striking homology between zebrafish and humans of molecular targets involved in tumor angiogenesis (somatostatin receptors, dopamine receptors, mammalian target of rapamycin), and currently used as targeted therapy of NETs, is reported.

Zebrafish models of dyslipidemia: relevance to atherosclerosis and angiogenesis

Lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in zebrafish and in humans are remarkably similar. Zebrafish express all major nuclear receptors, lipid transporters, apolipoproteins and enzymes involved in lipoprotein metabolism. Unlike mice, zebrafish express cetp and the Cetp activity is detected in zebrafish plasma. Feeding zebrafish a high cholesterol diet, without any genetic intervention, results in significant hypercholesterolemia and robust lipoprotein oxidation, making zebrafish an attractive animal model to study mechanisms relevant to early development of human atherosclerosis. These studies are facilitated by the optical transparency of zebrafish larvae and the availability of transgenic zebrafish expressing fluorescent proteins in endothelial cells and macrophages. Thus, vascular processes can be monitored in live animals. In this review article, we discuss recent advances in using dyslipidemic zebrafish in atherosclerosis-related studies. We also summarize recent work connecting lipid metabolism with regulation of angiogenesis, the work that considerably benefited from using the zebrafish model. These studies uncovered the role of aibp, abca1, abcg1, mtp, apoB, and apoC2 in regulation of angiogenesis in zebrafish and paved the way for future studies in mammals, which may suggest new therapeutic approaches to modulation of excessive or diminished angiogenesis contributing to the pathogenesis of human disease.

Zebrafish approaches enhance the translational research tackle box

During the past few decades, zebrafish (Danio rerio) have been a workhorse for developmental biology and genetics. Concurrently, zebrafish have proved highly accessible and effective for translational research by providing a vertebrate animal model useful for gene discovery, disease modeling, chemical genetic screening, and other medically relevant studies. Key resources such as an annotated and complete genome sequence, and diverse tools for genetic manipulation continue to spur broad use of zebrafish. Thus, the purpose of this introductory review is to provide a window into the unique characteristics and diverse uses of zebrafish and to highlight in particular the increasing relevance of zebrafish as a translational animal model. This is accomplished by reviewing broad considerations of anatomic and physiological conservation, approaches for disease modeling and creation, general laboratory methods, genetic tools, genome conservation, and diverse opportunities for functional validation. Additional commentary throughout the review also guides the reader to the 4 new reviews found elsewhere in this special issue that showcase the many unique ways the zebrafish is improving understanding of renal regeneration, mitochondrial disease, dyslipidemia, and aging, for example. With many other possible approaches and a rapidly increasing number of medically relevant reports, zebrafish approaches enhance significantly the tools available for translational research and are actively improving the understanding of human disease.

Dynamic neuroanatomy at subcellular resolution in the zebrafish

Genetic means to visualize and manipulate neuronal circuits in the intact animal have revolutionized neurobiology. "Dynamic neuroanatomy" defines a range of approaches aimed at quantifying the architecture or subcellular organization of neurons over time during their development, regeneration, or degeneration. A general feature of these approaches is their reliance on the optical isolation of defined neurons in toto by genetically expressing markers in one or few cells. Here we use the afferent neurons of the lateral line as an example to describe a simple method for the dynamic neuroanatomical study of axon terminals in the zebrafish by laser-scanning confocal microscopy.

Cas9-based genome editing in zebrafish

Genome editing using the Cas9 endonuclease of Streptococcus pyogenes has demonstrated unprecedented efficacy and facility in a wide variety of biological systems. In zebrafish, specifically, studies have shown that Cas9 can be directed to user-defined genomic target sites via synthetic guide RNAs, enabling random or homology-directed sequence alterations, long-range chromosomal deletions, simultaneous disruption of multiple genes, and targeted integration of several kilobases of DNA. Altogether, these methods are opening new doors for the engineering of knock-outs, conditional alleles, tagged proteins, reporter lines, and disease models. In addition, the ease and high efficiency of generating Cas9-mediated gene knock-outs provides great promise for high-throughput functional genomics studies in zebrafish. In this chapter, we briefly review the origin of CRISPR/Cas technology and discuss current Cas9-based genome-editing applications in zebrafish with particular emphasis on their designs and implementations.

Molecular Mechanisms of Podocyte Development Revealed by Zebrafish Kidney Research

Elucidating the gene regulatory networks that control kidney development can provide information about the origins of renal birth defects and kidney disease, as well as insights relevant to the design of clinical interventions for these conditions. The kidney is composed of functional units termed nephrons. Renal malfunction often arises from damage to cells known as podocytes, which are highly specialized epithelial cells that comprise the blood filter, or glomerulus, located on each nephron. Podocytes interact with the vasculature to create an elaborate sieve that collects circulatory fluid, and this filtrate enters the nephron where it is modified to produce urine and balance water homeostasis. Podocytes are an essential cellular component of the glomerular filtration barrier, helping to protect nephrons from the entry of large proteins and circulatory cells. Podocyte loss has catastrophic consequences for renal function and overall health, as podocyte destruction leads to nephron damage and pathological conditions like chronic kidney disease. Despite their importance, there is still a rather limited understanding about the molecular pathways that control podocyte formation. In recent years, however, studies of podocyte development using the zebrafish embryonic kidney, or pronephros, have been an expanding area of nephrology research. Zebrafish form an anatomically simple pronephros comprised of two nephrons that share a single blood filter, and podocyte progenitors can be easily visualized throughout the process of glomerular development. The zebrafish is an especially useful system for studying the mechanisms that are essential for formation of nephron cell types like podocytes due to the high genetic conservation between vertebrate species, including humans. In this review, we discuss how research using the zebrafish has provided new insights into the molecular regulation of the podocyte lineage during kidney ontogeny, complementing contemporary research in other animal models.

Roles of Iroquois Transcription Factors in Kidney Development

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) affect 1/500 live births. CAKUT lead to end stage renal failure in children, and are associated with high morbidity rates. Understanding the mechanisms of kidney development, and that of other associated urogenital tissues, is crucial to the prevention and treatment of CAKUT. The kidney arises from self-renewing mesenchymal renal stem cells that produce nephrons, which are the principal functional units of the organ. To date, the genetic and cellular mechanisms that control nephrogenesis have remained poorly understood. In recent years, developmental studies using amphibians and zebrafish have revealed that their simple embryonic kidney, known as the pronephros, is a useful paradigm for comparative studies of nephron ontogeny. Here, we discuss the new found roles for Iroquois transcription factors in pronephric nephron patterning, and explore the relevance of these findings for kidney development in humans.

Genetics and disease of ventricular muscle

Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of heart muscle diseases associated with heart failure, arrhythmias, and death. Genetic variation has a critical role in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathies, and numerous single-gene mutations have been associated with distinctive cardiomyopathy phenotypes. Contemporaneously with these discoveries, there has been enormous growth of genome-wide sequencing studies in large populations, data that show extensive genomic variation within every individual. The considerable allelic diversity in cardiomyopathy genes and in genes predicted to impact clinical expression of disease mutations indicates the need for a more nuanced interpretation of single-gene mutation in cardiomyopathies. These findings highlight the need to find new ways to interpret the functional significance of suites of genetic variants, as well as the need for new disease models that take global genetic variant burdens, epigenetic factors, and cardiac environmental factors into account.

Hypoxia inducible factor signaling modulates susceptibility to mycobacterial infection via a nitric oxide dependent mechanism

Tuberculosis is a current major world-health problem, exacerbated by the causative pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), becoming increasingly resistant to conventional antibiotic treatment. Mtb is able to counteract the bactericidal mechanisms of leukocytes to survive intracellularly and develop a niche permissive for proliferation and dissemination. Understanding of the pathogenesis of mycobacterial infections such as tuberculosis (TB) remains limited, especially for early infection and for reactivation of latent infection. Signaling via hypoxia inducible factor α (HIF-α) transcription factors has previously been implicated in leukocyte activation and host defence. We have previously shown that hypoxic signaling via stabilization of Hif-1α prolongs the functionality of leukocytes in the innate immune response to injury. We sought to manipulate Hif-α signaling in a well-established Mycobacterium marinum (Mm) zebrafish model of TB to investigate effects on the host's ability to combat mycobacterial infection. Stabilization of host Hif-1α, both pharmacologically and genetically, at early stages of Mm infection was able to reduce the bacterial burden of infected larvae. Increasing Hif-1α signaling enhanced levels of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in neutrophils prior to infection and was able to reduce larval mycobacterial burden. Conversely, decreasing Hif-2α signaling enhanced RNS levels and reduced bacterial burden, demonstrating that Hif-1α and Hif-2α have opposing effects on host susceptibility to mycobacterial infection. The antimicrobial effect of Hif-1α stabilization, and Hif-2α reduction, were demonstrated to be dependent on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) signaling at early stages of infection. Our findings indicate that induction of leukocyte iNOS by stabilizing Hif-1α, or reducing Hif-2α, aids the host during early stages of Mm infection. Stabilization of Hif-1α therefore represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention against tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis is a mycobacterial disease that was a major cause of death until the discovery of antibiotics in the mid-twentieth century. However, TB is once again on the rise, with the emergence of strains that are multi-drug resistant. Mycobacteria are specialists in evading immune cell killing and use host immune cells as a niche in which they can proliferate and survive latently, until subsequent re-activation and spreading causing life-threatening disease. Pharmaceutical reprogramming of the immune system to kill intracellular mycobacteria would represent a therapeutic strategy, effective against currently untreatable strains and less susceptible to drug resistance. Here we use an in vivo zebrafish model of TB to show that manipulation of the host genetic pathway responsible for detecting low oxygen levels (hypoxia) causes a decrease in mycobacterial infection. This antimicrobial effect was due to a priming of immune cells with increased levels of nitric oxide, a molecule that is used by immune cells to kill bacteria. Here we show in vivo manipulation of a host-signaling pathway aids the host in combatting mycobacteria infection, identifying hypoxic signaling as a potential target for future therapeutics against TB.

Advances in genomics of bony fish

In this review, we present an overview of the recent advances of genomic technologies applied to studies of fish species belonging to the superclass of Osteichthyes (bony fish) with a major emphasis on the infraclass of Teleostei, also called teleosts. This superclass that represents more than 50% of all known vertebrate species has gained considerable attention from genome researchers in the last decade. We discuss many examples that demonstrate that this highly deserved attention is currently leading to new opportunities for answering important biological questions on gene function and evolutionary processes. In addition to giving an overview of the technologies that have been applied for studying various fish species we put the recent advances in genome research on the model species zebrafish and medaka in the context of its impact for studies of all fish of the superclass of Osteichthyes. We thereby want to illustrate how the combined value of research on model species together with a broad angle perspective on all bony fish species will have a huge impact on research in all fields of fundamental science and will speed up applications in many societally important areas such as the development of new medicines, toxicology test systems, environmental sensing systems and sustainable aquaculture strategies.

Beyond the zebrafish: diverse fish species for modeling human disease

In recent years, zebrafish, and to a lesser extent medaka, have become widely used small animal models for human diseases. These organisms have convincingly demonstrated the usefulness of fish for improving our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to pathological conditions, and for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Despite the usefulness of zebrafish and medaka in the investigation of a wide spectrum of traits, there is evidence to suggest that other fish species could be better suited for more targeted questions. With the emergence of new, improved sequencing technologies that enable genomic resources to be generated with increasing efficiency and speed, the potential of non-mainstream fish species as disease models can now be explored. A key feature of these fish species is that the pathological condition that they model is often related to specific evolutionary adaptations. By exploring these adaptations, new disease-causing and disease-modifier genes might be identified; thus, diverse fish species could be exploited to better understand the complexity of disease processes. In addition, non-mainstream fish models could allow us to study the impact of environmental factors, as well as genetic variation, on complex disease phenotypes. This Review will discuss the opportunities that such fish models offer for current and future biomedical research.

Epilepsy in kcnj10 morphant zebrafish assessed with a novel method for long-term EEG recordings

We aimed to develop and validate a reliable method for stable long-term recordings of EEG activity in zebrafish, which is less prone to artifacts than current invasive techniques. EEG activity was recorded with a blunt electrolyte-filled glass pipette placed on the zebrafish head mimicking surface EEG technology in man. In addition, paralysis of agarose-embedded fish using D-tubocurarine excluded movement artifacts associated with epileptic activity. This non-invasive recording technique allowed recordings for up to one hour and produced less artifacts than impaling the zebrafish optic tectum with a patch pipette. Paralyzed fish survived, and normal heartbeat could be monitored for over 1h. Our technique allowed the demonstration of specific epileptic activity in kcnj10a morphant fish (a model for EAST syndrome) closely resembling epileptic activity induced by pentylenetetrazol. This new method documented that seizures in the zebrafish EAST model were ameliorated by pentobarbitone, but not diazepam, validating its usefulness. In conclusion, non-invasive recordings in paralyzed EAST syndrome zebrafish proved stable, reliable and robust, showing qualitatively similar frequency spectra to those obtained from pentylenetetrazol-treated fish. This technique may prove particularly useful in zebrafish epilepsy models that show infrequent or conditional seizure activity.

SCRIB and PUF60 are primary drivers of the multisystemic phenotypes of the 8q24.3 copy-number variant

Copy-number variants (CNVs) represent a significant interpretative challenge, given that each CNV typically affects the dosage of multiple genes. Here we report on five individuals with coloboma, microcephaly, developmental delay, short stature, and craniofacial, cardiac, and renal defects who harbor overlapping microdeletions on 8q24.3. Fine mapping localized a commonly deleted 78 kb region that contains three genes: SCRIB, NRBP2, and PUF60. In vivo dissection of the CNV showed discrete contributions of the planar cell polarity effector SCRIB and the splicing factor PUF60 to the syndromic phenotype, and the combinatorial suppression of both genes exacerbated some, but not all, phenotypic components. Consistent with these findings, we identified an individual with microcephaly, short stature, intellectual disability, and heart defects with a de novo c.505C>T variant leading to a p.His169Tyr change in PUF60. Functional testing of this allele in vivo and in vitro showed that the mutation perturbs the relative dosage of two PUF60 isoforms and, subsequently, the splicing efficiency of downstream PUF60 targets. These data inform the functions of two genes not associated previously with human genetic disease and demonstrate how CNVs can exhibit complex genetic architecture, with the phenotype being the amalgam of both discrete dosage dysfunction of single transcripts and also of binary genetic interactions.

Mutagenesis and phenotyping resources in zebrafish for studying development and human disease

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an important model organism for studying development and human disease. The zebrafish has an excellent reference genome and the functions of hundreds of genes have been tested using both forward and reverse genetic approaches. Recent years have seen an increasing number of large-scale mutagenesis projects and the number of mutants or gene knockouts in zebrafish has increased rapidly, including for the first time conditional knockout technologies. In addition, targeted mutagenesis techniques such as zinc finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases and clustered regularly interspaced short sequences (CRISPR) or CRISPR-associated (Cas), have all been shown to effectively target zebrafish genes as well as the first reported germline homologous recombination, further expanding the utility and power of zebrafish genetics. Given this explosion of mutagenesis resources, it is now possible to perform systematic, high-throughput phenotype analysis of all zebrafish gene knockouts.

Multidimensional in vivo hazard assessment using zebrafish

There are tens of thousands of man-made chemicals in the environment; the inherent safety of most of these chemicals is not known. Relevant biological platforms and new computational tools are needed to prioritize testing of chemicals with limited human health hazard information. We describe an experimental design for high-throughput characterization of multidimensional in vivo effects with the power to evaluate trends relating to commonly cited chemical predictors. We evaluated all 1060 unique U.S. EPA ToxCast phase 1 and 2 compounds using the embryonic zebrafish and found that 487 induced significant adverse biological responses. The utilization of 18 simultaneously measured endpoints means that the entire system serves as a robust biological sensor for chemical hazard. The experimental design enabled us to describe global patterns of variation across tested compounds, evaluate the concordance of the available in vitro and in vivo phase 1 data with this study, highlight specific mechanisms/value-added/novel biology related to notochord development, and demonstrate that the developmental zebrafish detects adverse responses that would be missed by less comprehensive testing strategies.

Intravital imaging of hair-cell development and regeneration in the zebrafish

Direct videomicroscopic visualization of organ formation and regeneration in toto is a powerful strategy to study cellular processes that often cannot be replicated in vitro. Intravital imaging aims at quantifying changes in tissue architecture or subcellular organization over time during organ development, regeneration or degeneration. A general feature of this approach is its reliance on the optical isolation of defined cell types in the whole animals by transgenic expression of fluorescent markers. Here we describe a simple and robust method to analyze sensory hair-cell development and regeneration in the zebrafish lateral line by high-resolution intravital imaging using laser-scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM). The main advantage of studying hair-cell regeneration in the lateral line is that it occurs throughout the life of the animal, which allows its study in the most natural context. We detail protocols to achieve continuous videomicroscopy for up to 68 hours, enabling direct observation of cellular behavior, which can provide a sensitive assay for the quantitative classification of cellular phenotypes and cell-lineage reconstruction. Modifications to this protocol should facilitate pharmacogenetic assays to identify or validate otoprotective or reparative drugs for future clinical strategies aimed at preserving aural function in humans.

The zebrafish as a new model for the in vivo study of Shigella flexneri interaction with phagocytes and bacterial autophagy

Autophagy, an ancient and highly conserved intracellular degradation process, is viewed as a critical component of innate immunity because of its ability to deliver cytosolic bacteria to the lysosome. However, the role of bacterial autophagy in vivo remains poorly understood. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as a vertebrate model for the study of infections because it is optically accessible at the larval stages when the innate immune system is already functional. Here, we have characterized the susceptibility of zebrafish larvae to Shigella flexneri, a paradigm for bacterial autophagy, and have used this model to study Shigella-phagocyte interactions in vivo. Depending on the dose, S. flexneri injected in zebrafish larvae were either cleared in a few days or resulted in a progressive and ultimately fatal infection. Using high resolution live imaging, we found that S. flexneri were rapidly engulfed by macrophages and neutrophils; moreover we discovered a scavenger role for neutrophils in eliminating infected dead macrophages and non-immune cell types that failed to control Shigella infection. We observed that intracellular S. flexneri could escape to the cytosol, induce septin caging and be targeted to autophagy in vivo. Depletion of p62 (sequestosome 1 or SQSTM1), an adaptor protein critical for bacterial autophagy in vitro, significantly increased bacterial burden and host susceptibility to infection. These results show the zebrafish larva as a new model for the study of S. flexneri interaction with phagocytes, and the manipulation of autophagy for anti-bacterial therapy in vivo.

Autophagy, an ancient and highly conserved intracellular degradation process, is viewed as a critical component of innate immunity because of its ability to deliver cytosolic bacteria to the lysosome. However, a complete understanding of the molecules and mechanisms restricting cytosolic bacteria has not been obtained, and the role of bacterial autophagy in vivo remains poorly understood. Shigella flexneri are human-adapted Escherichia coli that have gained the ability to invade the colonic mucosa, causing inflammation and diarrhea. The intracellular lifestyle of this pathogen has been well-studied in vitro, and Shigella has recently gained recognition as a paradigm of bacterial autophagy. We show that the zebrafish larva represents a valuable new host for the analysis of S. flexneri infection. Interactions between bacteria and host phagocytes can be imaged at high resolution in vivo, and the zebrafish model should prove useful for understanding the cell biology of Shigella infection. We use zebrafish larvae to investigate the role of bacterial autophagy in host defense, and observed that the perturbation of autophagy can adversely affect host survival in response to Shigella infection. Therefore, the zebrafish constitutes a valuable system to develop new strategies aimed at pathogen clearance by manipulation of anti-bacterial autophagy.

In vivo modeling of the morbid human genome using Danio rerio

Here, we present methods for the development of assays to query potentially clinically significant nonsynonymous changes using in vivo complementation in zebrafish. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a useful animal system due to their experimental tractability; embryos are transparent to enable facile viewing, undergo rapid development ex vivo, and can be genetically manipulated. These aspects have allowed for significant advances in the analysis of embryogenesis, molecular processes, and morphogenetic signaling. Taken together, the advantages of this vertebrate model make zebrafish highly amenable to modeling the developmental defects in pediatric disease, and in some cases, adult-onset disorders. Because the zebrafish genome is highly conserved with that of humans (~70% orthologous), it is possible to recapitulate human disease states in zebrafish. This is accomplished either through the injection of mutant human mRNA to induce dominant negative or gain of function alleles, or utilization of morpholino (MO) antisense oligonucleotides to suppress genes to mimic loss of function variants. Through complementation of MO-induced phenotypes with capped human mRNA, our approach enables the interpretation of the deleterious effect of mutations on human protein sequence based on the ability of mutant mRNA to rescue a measurable, physiologically relevant phenotype. Modeling of the human disease alleles occurs through microinjection of zebrafish embryos with MO and/or human mRNA at the 1-4 cell stage, and phenotyping up to seven days post fertilization (dpf). This general strategy can be extended to a wide range of disease phenotypes, as demonstrated in the following protocol. We present our established models for morphogenetic signaling, craniofacial, cardiac, vascular integrity, renal function, and skeletal muscle disorder phenotypes, as well as others.

Swimming into prominence: the zebrafish as a valuable tool for studying human myopathies and muscular dystrophies

A new and exciting phase of muscle disease research has recently been entered. The application of next generation sequencing technology has spurred an unprecedented era of gene discovery for both myopathies and muscular dystrophies. Gene-based therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy have entered clinical trial, and several pathway-based therapies are doing so as well for a handful of muscle diseases. While many factors have aided the extraordinary developments in gene discovery and therapy development, the zebrafish model system has emerged as a vital tool in these advancements. In this review, we will highlight how the zebrafish has greatly aided in the identification of new muscle disease genes and in the recognition of novel therapeutic strategies. We will start with a general introduction to the zebrafish as a model, discuss the ways in which muscle disease can be modeled and analyzed in the fish, and conclude with observations from recent studies that highlight the power of the fish as a research tool for muscle disease.

Cryopreservation Causes Genetic and Epigenetic Changes in Zebrafish Genital Ridges

Cryopreservation is an important tool routinely employed in Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ARTs) and germplasm banking. For several years, the assessment of global DNA fragmentation seemed to be enough to ensure the integrity of genetic material. However, cryopreservation can produce molecular alterations in key genes and transcripts undetectable by traditional assays, such modifications could interfere with normal embryo development. We used zebrafish as a model to study the effect of cryopreservation on key transcripts and genes. We employed an optimized cryopreservation protocol for genital ridges (GRs) containing primordial germ cells (PGCs) considered one of the best cell sources for gene banking. Our results indicated that cryopreservation produced a decrease in most of the zebrafish studied transcripts (cxcr4b, pou5f1, vasa and sox2) and upregulation of heat shock proteins (hsp70, hsp90). The observed downregulation could not always be explained by promoter hypermethylation (only the vasa promoter underwent clear hypermethylation). To corroborate this, we used human spermatozoa (transcriptionally inactive cells) obtaining a reduction in some transcripts (eIF2S1, and LHCGR). Our results also demonstrated that this effect was caused by freezing/thawing rather than exposure to cryoprotectants (CPAs). Finally, we employed real-time PCR (qPCR) technology to quantify the number of lesions produced by cryopreservation in the studied zebrafish genes, observing very different vulnerability to damage among them. All these data suggest that molecular alterations caused by cryopreservation should be studied in detail in order to ensure the total safety of the technique.

Reversed scototaxis during withdrawal after daily-moderate, but not weekly-binge, administration of ethanol in zebrafish

Alcohol abuse can lead to severe psychological and physiological damage. Little is known, however, about the relative impact of a small, daily dose of alcohol (daily-moderate schedule) versus a large, once per week dose (weekly-binge schedule). In this study, we examined the effect of each of these schedules on behavioural measures of anxiety in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Adult wild-type zebrafish were administered either 0.2% ethanol on a daily-moderate schedule or 1.4% ethanol on a weekly-binge schedule for a period of 21 days, and then tested for scototaxis (preference for darkness) during withdrawal. Compared to a control group with no alcohol exposure, the daily-moderate group spent significantly more time on the light side of the arena (indicative of decreased anxiety) on day two of withdrawal, but not day 9 of withdrawal. The weekly-binge group was not significantly different from the control group on either day of withdrawal and showed no preference for either the light or dark zones. Our results indicate that even a small dose of alcohol on a daily basis can cause significant, though reversible, changes in behaviour.

The zebrafish as a model to study polycystic liver disease

In the polycystic liver diseases (PLD), genetic defects initiate the formation of cysts in the liver and kidney. In rodent models of PLD (i.e., the PCK rat and Pkd2(WS25/-) mouse), we have studied hepatorenal cystic disease and therapeutic approaches. In this study, we employed zebrafish injected with morpholinos against genes involved in the PLD, including sec63, prkcsh, and pkd1a. We calculated the liver cystic area, and based on our rodent studies, we exposed the embryos to pasireotide [1 μM] or vitamin K3 [100 μM] and assessed the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in cholangiocytes in embryos treated with 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA). Our results show that (a) morpholinos against sec63, prkcsh, and pkd1a eliminate expression of the respective proteins; (b) phenotypic body changes included curved tail and the formation of hepatic cysts in zebrafish larvae; (c) exposure of embryos to pasireotide inhibited hepatic cystogenesis in the zebrafish models; and (d) exposure of embryos to 4-PBA resulted in the ER in cholangiocytes resolving from a curved to a smooth appearance. Our results suggest that the zebrafish model of PLD may provide a means to screen drugs that could inhibit hepatic cystogenesis.

Neuromuscular disorders in zebrafish: state of the art and future perspectives

Neuromuscular disorders are a broad group of inherited conditions affecting the structure and function of the motor system with polymorphic clinical presentation and disease severity. Although individually rare, collectively neuromuscular diseases have an incidence of 1 in 3,000 and represent a significant cause of disability of the motor system. The past decade has witnessed the identification of a large number of human genes causing muscular disorders, yet the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms remain largely unclear, limiting the developing of targeted therapeutic strategies. To overcome this barrier, model systems that replicate the different steps of human disorders are increasingly being developed. Among these, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as an excellent organism for studying genetic disorders of the central and peripheral motor systems. In this review, we will encounter most of the available zebrafish models for childhood neuromuscular disorders, providing a brief overview of results and the techniques, mainly transgenesis and chemical biology, used for genetic manipulation. The amount of data collected in the past few years will lead zebrafish to became a common functional tool for assessing rapidly drug efficacy and off-target effects in neuromuscular diseases and, furthermore, to shed light on new etiologies emerging from large-scale massive sequencing studies.

Expression of tachykinin receptors (tacr1a and tacr1b) in zebrafish: influence of cocaine and opioid receptors

Opioid and tachykinin receptors (TACRs) are closely related in addiction and pain processes. In zebrafish, opioid receptors have been cloned and characterized both biochemically and pharmacologically. However, the tacr1 gene has not yet been described in zebrafish. The aim of this research was to identify the tacr1 gene, study the effects of cocaine on tacr1, and analyze the interaction between tacr1 and opioid receptors. We have identified a duplicate of tacr1 gene in zebrafish, designated as tacr1a and tacr1b. Phylogenetic analyses revealed an alignment of these receptors in the Tacr1 fish cluster, with a clear distinction from other TACR1s of amphibians, birds, and mammals. Our qPCR results showed that tacr1a and tacr1b mRNAs are expressed during embryonic development. Whole-mount in situ hybridization showed tacr1 expression in the CNS and in the peripheral tissues. Cocaine (1.5 μM) induced an upregulation of tacr1a and tacr1b at 24 and 48 h post-fertilization (hpf; except for tacr1a at 48 hpf, which was downregulated). By contrast, HEK-293 cells transfected with tacr1a and tacr1b and exposed to cocaine showed a downregulation of tacr1s. The knockdown of ZfDOR2 and ZfMOR, opioid receptors, induced a down- and upregulation of tacr1a and tacr1b respectively. In conclusion, tacr1a and tacr1b in zebrafish are widely expressed throughout the CNS and peripherally, suggesting a critical role of these tacr1s during embryogenesis. tacr1a and tacr1b mRNA expression is altered by cocaine exposure and by the knockdown of opioid receptors. Thus, zebrafish can provide clues for a better understanding of the relationship between tachykinin and opioid receptors in pain and addiction during embryonic development.

Substance P mRNA expression during zebrafish development: influence of mu opioid receptor and cocaine

Zebrafish has emerged as an important vertebrate animal model for the study of human diseases and for developmental studies in mammals. Since there are few studies of the tachykinin 1 gene (TAC1), precursor of substance P (SP), in relation to embryonic development, we aimed to study the expression of SP transcript (mRNA) and determine the influence of cocaine and opioid receptors on the expression of this neuropeptide. In order to analyse the spatial and temporal SP mRNA expression in zebrafish, we cloned - based on human TAC1 sequence - the sequence that originates SP. Phylogenetic analyses of the precursor of SP, revealed an alignment in the fish cluster, with a clear distinction from other species (amphibians, birds and mammals). Real time PCR (qPCR) results showed that SP mRNA was expressed in several stages of embryonic development, where it increased progressively from gastrula-8hpf (hour post-fertilisation) to the end of the embryogenesis-72hpf. SP mRNA was expressed mainly in the spinal cord in embryos at 20-30hpf, whereas at 36, 42 and 48hpf embryos SP mRNA was expressed mainly in the CNS telencephalon, diencephalon, hypothalamus, rhombomeres, epiphysis and in peripheral areas (heart and somites). Exposure of embryos to 1.5μM cocaine altered the SP mRNA expression at 24 (increasing) and 48hpf (decreasing). We also report that knockdown of μ-opioid receptor induced an increase of SP mRNA expression while the knockdown of the two delta opioid receptors did not produce changes in SP mRNA expression. In conclusion, SP mRNA in zebrafish is expressed during embryonic development in the CNS and peripherally, suggesting that SP would play a critical role during embryogenesis. Furthermore, cocaine exposure and the knockdown of μ-opioid receptor affect the SP mRNA expression. These observations can be important in the pain and addiction field where SP is involved.

Depletion of Aurora-A in zebrafish causes growth retardation due to mitotic delay and p53-dependent cell death

Aurora-A is a serine/threonine mitotic kinase that is required for centrosome maturation. Many cancer cells over-express Aurora-A, and several reports have suggested that Aurora-A has prognostic value in the clinical treatment of cancer. Therefore, inhibitors for Aurora-A kinase have been developed. However, studies on Aurora-A are largely performed in cancer cell lines and are sometimes controversial. For effective evaluation of Aurora-A inhibitors in cancer treatment, it is essential to understand its function at the organism level. Here, we report the crucial functions of Aurora-A in homeostasis of spindle organization in mitosis using zebrafish embryogenesis as a model system. Using morpholino technology, we show that depletion of Aurora-A in zebrafish embryogenesis results in short bent trunks, accompanied by growth retardation and eventual cell death. Live-imaging and immunofluorescence analyses of the embryos revealed that the developmental defects are due to problems in mitosis, manifested through monopolar and disorganized spindle formation. Aurora-A-depleted cells exhibited mitotic arrest with congression failure, leading to activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint. Cell death in the absence of Aurora-A was partially rescued by co-injection of the p53 morpholino, suggesting that apoptosis after Aurora-A depletion is p53-dependent. The clinical implications of these results relate to the indication that Aurora-A inhibitors may be effective towards cancers with intact p53.

Congenital and Acute Kidney Disease: Translational Research Insights from Zebrafish Chemical Genetics

Today, acute kidney injury (AKI) and congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) represent major issues in healthcare. Both AKI and CAKUT can lead to end stage renal disease (ESRD) that requires life-long medical care with renal replacement therapy. Renal replacement by dialysis is intensive, and kidney transplantation is restricted by organ availability. These limitations, along with the growing epidemic of patients affected by kidney disease, highlight the significant need to identify alternative ways to treat renal injury and birth defects. Drug discovery is one promising avenue of current research. Here, we discuss zebrafish chemical genetics and its latent potency as a method to rapidly identify small molecule therapeutics to accelerate recovery after AKI. Specifically, we review two groundbreaking studies that have recently provided a template to screen for compounds that expand the renal progenitor field in development that were capable of treating AKI in both the zebrafish and the mouse. These new findings demonstrate that drug discovery using zebrafish can be used for relevant translational research to identify clinical interventions for renal conditions in humans.

Modulation by cocaine of dopamine receptors through miRNA-133b in zebrafish embryos

The use of cocaine during pregnancy can affect the mother and indirectly might alter the development of the embryo/foetus. Accordingly, in the present work our aim was to study in vivo (in zebrafish embryos) the effects of cocaine on the expression of dopamine receptors and on miR-133b. These embryos were exposed to cocaine hydrochloride (HCl) at 5 hours post-fertilization (hpf) and were then collected at 8, 16, 24, 48 and 72 hpf to study the expression of dopamine receptors, drd1, drd2a, drd2b and drd3, by quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH, only at 24 hpf). Our results indicate that cocaine alters the expression of the genes studied, depending on the stage of the developing embryo and the type of dopamine receptor. We found that cocaine reduced the expression of miR-133b at 24 and 48 hpf in the central nervous system (CNS) and at the periphery by qPCR and also that the spatial distribution of miR-133b was mainly seen in somites, a finding that suggests the involvement of miR-133b in the development of the skeletal muscle. In contrast, at the level of the CNS miR-133b had a weak and moderate expression at 24 and 48 hpf. We also analysed the interaction of miR-133b with the Pitx3 and Pitx3 target genes drd2a and drd2b, tyrosine hydroxylase (th) and dopamine transporter (dat) by microinjection of the Pitx3-3'UTR sequence. Microinjection of Pitx3-3'UTR affected the expression of pitx3, drd2a, drd2b, th and dat. In conclusion, in the present work we describe a possible mechanism to account for cocaine activity by controlling miR-133b transcription in zebrafish. Via miR-133b cocaine would modulate the expression of pitx3 and subsequently of dopamine receptors, dat and th. These results indicate that miRNAs can play an important role during embryogenesis and in drug addiction.

Does melanoma begin in a melanocyte stem cell?

What is the cellular origin of melanoma? What role do melanocyte stem cells (MSC) and other melanocyte precursors play in the development of melanoma? Are MSCs and other latent melanocyte precursors more susceptible to solar radiation? These and many other questions can be very effectively addressed using the zebrafish model. Zebrafish have a robust regenerative capability, permitting the study of how MSCs are regulated and recruited at specific times and places to generate the pigment pattern following fin amputation or melanocyte ablation. They can be used to determine the effects of environmental radiation on the proliferation, survival, repair, and differentiation of MSCs. Our lab is using zebrafish to investigate how UVA- (320-400 nm) and UVB- (290-320 nm) induced damage to MSCs may contribute to the development of melanoma. A review is given of MSCs in zebrafish as well as experimental techniques and drugs for manipulating MSC populations. These techniques can be used to design experiments to help answer many questions regarding the role of MSCs or melanocyte precursors in the formation of melanoma stem cells and tumors following exposure to UVA/UVB radiation.

Cocaine modulates the expression of opioid receptors and miR-let-7d in zebrafish embryos

Prenatal exposure to cocaine, in mammals, has been shown to interfere with the expression of opioid receptors, which can have repercussions in its activity. Likewise, microRNAs, such as let-7, have been shown to regulate the expression of opioid receptors and hence their functions in mammals and in vitro experiments. In light of this, using the zebrafish embryos as a model our aim here was to evaluate the actions of cocaine in the expression of opioid receptors and let-7d miRNA during embryogenesis. In order to determine the effects produced by cocaine on the opioid receptors (zfmor, zfdor1 and zfdor2) and let-7d miRNA (dre-let-7d) and its precursors (dre-let-7d-1 and dre-let-7d-2), embryos were exposed to 1.5 µM cocaine hydrochloride (HCl). Our results revealed that cocaine upregulated dre-let-7d and its precursors, and also increased the expression of zfmor, zfdor1 and zfdor2 during early developmental stages and decreased them in late embryonic stages. The changes observed in the expression of opioid receptors might occur through dre-let-7d, since DNA sequences and the morpholinos of opioid receptors microinjections altered the expression of dre-let-7d and its precursors. Likewise, opioid receptors and dre-let-7d showed similar distributions in the central nervous system (CNS) and at the periphery, pointing to a possible interrelationship between them.In conclusion, the silencing and overexpression of opioid receptors altered the expression of dre-let-7d, which points to the notion that cocaine via dre-let-7 can modulate the expression of opioid receptors. Our study provides new insights into the actions of cocaine during zebrafish embryogenesis, indicating a role of miRNAs, let-7d, in development and its relationship with gene expression of opioid receptors, related to pain and addiction process.