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Weiner AMJ, Irijalba I, Gallego MP, Ibarburu I, Sainz L, Goñi-de-Cerio F, Quevedo C, Muriana A. Validation of a zebrafish developmental defects assay as a qualified alternative test for its regulatory use following the ICH S5(R3) guideline. Reprod Toxicol 2024; 123:108513. [PMID: 38016617 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2023.108513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Zebrafish is a popular toxicology model and provides an ethically acceptable small-scale analysis system with the complexity of a complete organism. Our goal is to further validate this model for its regulatory use for reproductive and developmental defects by testing the compounds indicated in the "Guideline on detection of reproductive and developmental toxicity for human pharmaceuticals" (ICH S5(R3) guideline.) To determine the embryotoxic and developmental risk of the 32 reference compounds listed in the ICH S5(R3) guideline, the presence of morphological alterations in zebrafish embryos was analyzed at two different stages to calculateLC50 and EC50 values for each stage. Teratogenic Indexes were established as the ratio between LC50 and EC50 critical for the proper compound classification as teratogenic when it is ≥ 2. A total of three biological replicates have been conducted to study the reproducibility of the assay. The chemicals' concentration in the medium and internally in the zebrafish embryos was evaluated. In this study, the 3 negative compounds were properly categorized while 23 compounds out of the 29 reference ones (sensitivity of 79.31%) were classified as teratogenic in zebrafish. The 6 that had false-negative results were classified 4 as inconclusive, 1 as not toxic, and 1 compound resulted toxic for zebrafish embryos under testing conditions. After the bioavailability experiments, some of the obtained inconclusive results were refined. The developmental defects assay in zebrafish gives an accuracy of 89.66%, sensitivity of 88.46%, specificity and repeatability of 100% compared to mammals; therefore, this is a well-integrated strategy using New Alternative Methods, to minimize the use of animals in developmental toxicity studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M J Weiner
- BBD BioPhenix SLU (BIOBIDE), San Sebastian, Spain.
| | - I Irijalba
- BBD BioPhenix SLU (BIOBIDE), San Sebastian, Spain
| | - M P Gallego
- BBD BioPhenix SLU (BIOBIDE), San Sebastian, Spain
| | - I Ibarburu
- BBD BioPhenix SLU (BIOBIDE), San Sebastian, Spain
| | - L Sainz
- GAIKER Technology Centre, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Zamudio, Spain
| | - F Goñi-de-Cerio
- GAIKER Technology Centre, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Zamudio, Spain
| | - C Quevedo
- BBD BioPhenix SLU (BIOBIDE), San Sebastian, Spain
| | - A Muriana
- BBD BioPhenix SLU (BIOBIDE), San Sebastian, Spain.
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2
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Lescouzères L, Hassen-Khodja C, Baudot A, Bordignon B, Bomont P. A multilevel screening pipeline in zebrafish identifies therapeutic drugs for GAN. EMBO Mol Med 2023:e16267. [PMID: 37144692 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202216267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Giant axonal neuropathy (GAN) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder for which there is currently no treatment. Affecting the nervous system, GAN starts in infancy with motor deficits that rapidly evolve toward total loss of ambulation. Using the gan zebrafish model that reproduces the loss of motility as seen in patients, we conducted the first pharmacological screening for the GAN pathology. Here, we established a multilevel pipeline to identify small molecules restoring both the physiological and the cellular deficits in GAN. We combined behavioral, in silico, and high-content imaging analyses to refine our Hits to five drugs restoring locomotion, axonal outgrowth, and stabilizing neuromuscular junctions in the gan zebrafish. The postsynaptic nature of the drug's cellular targets provides direct evidence for the pivotal role the neuromuscular junction holds in the restoration of motility. Our results identify the first drug candidates that can now be integrated in a repositioning approach to fasten therapy for the GAN disease. Moreover, we anticipate both our methodological development and the identified hits to be of benefit to other neuromuscular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Lescouzères
- ERC Team, NeuroMyoGene Insitute - Now PGNM, Inserm U1315, CNRS UMR5261, University of Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Cédric Hassen-Khodja
- Montpellier Ressources Imagerie, BioCampus, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Anaïs Baudot
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, MMG, Marseille Medical Genetics, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Benoît Bordignon
- Montpellier Ressources Imagerie, BioCampus, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Pascale Bomont
- ERC Team, NeuroMyoGene Insitute - Now PGNM, Inserm U1315, CNRS UMR5261, University of Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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3
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Lescouzères L, Bordignon B, Bomont P. Development of a high-throughput tailored imaging method in zebrafish to understand and treat neuromuscular diseases. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:956582. [PMID: 36204134 PMCID: PMC9530744 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.956582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a vertebrate species offering multitude of advantages for the study of conserved biological systems in human and has considerably enriched our knowledge in developmental biology and physiology. Being equally important in medical research, the zebrafish has become a critical tool in the fields of diagnosis, gene discovery, disease modeling, and pharmacology-based therapy. Studies on the zebrafish neuromuscular system allowed for deciphering key molecular pathways in this tissue, and established it as a model of choice to study numerous motor neurons, neuromuscular junctions, and muscle diseases. Starting with the similarities of the zebrafish neuromuscular system with the human system, we review disease models associated with the neuromuscular system to focus on current methodologies employed to study them and outline their caveats. In particular, we put in perspective the necessity to develop standardized and high-resolution methodologies that are necessary to deepen our understanding of not only fundamental signaling pathways in a healthy tissue but also the changes leading to disease phenotype outbreaks, and offer templates for high-content screening strategies. While the development of high-throughput methodologies is underway for motility assays, there is no automated approach to quantify the key molecular cues of the neuromuscular junction. Here, we provide a novel high-throughput imaging methodology in the zebrafish that is standardized, highly resolutive, quantitative, and fit for drug screening. By providing a proof of concept for its robustness in identifying novel molecular players and therapeutic drugs in giant axonal neuropathy (GAN) disease, we foresee that this new tool could be useful for both fundamental and biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Lescouzères
- ERC Team, Institut NeuroMyoGéne-PGNM, Inserm U1315, CNRS UMR 5261, Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Benoît Bordignon
- Montpellier Ressources Imagerie, BioCampus, CNRS, INSERM, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Pascale Bomont
- ERC Team, Institut NeuroMyoGéne-PGNM, Inserm U1315, CNRS UMR 5261, Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- *Correspondence: Pascale Bomont,
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4
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Oprişoreanu AM, Smith HL, Krix S, Chaytow H, Carragher NO, Gillingwater TH, Becker CG, Becker T. Automated in vivo drug screen in zebrafish identifies synapse-stabilising drugs with relevance to spinal muscular atrophy. Dis Model Mech 2021; 14:259422. [PMID: 33973627 PMCID: PMC8106959 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.047761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapses are particularly vulnerable in many neurodegenerative diseases and often the first to degenerate, for example in the motor neuron disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Compounds that can counteract synaptic destabilisation are rare. Here, we describe an automated screening paradigm in zebrafish for small-molecule compounds that stabilize the neuromuscular synapse in vivo. We make use of a mutant for the axonal C-type lectin chondrolectin (chodl), one of the main genes dysregulated in SMA. In chodl-/- mutants, neuromuscular synapses that are formed at the first synaptic site by growing axons are not fully mature, causing axons to stall, thereby impeding further axon growth beyond that synaptic site. This makes axon length a convenient read-out for synapse stability. We screened 982 small-molecule compounds in chodl chodl-/- mutants and found four that strongly rescued motor axon length. Aberrant presynaptic neuromuscular synapse morphology was also corrected. The most-effective compound, the adenosine uptake inhibitor drug dipyridamole, also rescued axon growth defects in the UBA1-dependent zebrafish model of SMA. Hence, we describe an automated screening pipeline that can detect compounds with relevance to SMA. This versatile platform can be used for drug and genetic screens, with wider relevance to synapse formation and stabilisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-Maria Oprişoreanu
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, The Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB
| | - Hannah L Smith
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, The Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB
| | - Sophia Krix
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, The Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB
| | - Helena Chaytow
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, The Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4SB Edinburgh, UK
| | - Neil O Carragher
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XR Edinburgh, UK
| | - Thomas H Gillingwater
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, The Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4SB Edinburgh, UK
| | - Catherina G Becker
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, The Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4SB Edinburgh, UK
| | - Thomas Becker
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, The Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB
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Cassar S, Dunn C, Ramos MF. Zebrafish as an Animal Model for Ocular Toxicity Testing: A Review of Ocular Anatomy and Functional Assays. Toxicol Pathol 2020; 49:438-454. [PMID: 33063651 DOI: 10.1177/0192623320964748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Xenobiotics make their way into organisms from diverse sources including diet, medication, and pollution. Our understanding of ocular toxicities from xenobiotics in humans, livestock, and wildlife is growing thanks to laboratory animal models. Anatomy and physiology are conserved among vertebrate eyes, and studies with common mammalian preclinical species (rodent, dog) can predict human ocular toxicity. However, since the eye is susceptible to toxicities that may not involve a histological correlate, and these species rely heavily on smell and hearing to navigate their world, discovering visual deficits can be challenging with traditional animal models. Alternative models capable of identifying functional impacts on vision and requiring minimal amounts of chemical are valuable assets to toxicology. Human and zebrafish eyes are anatomically and functionally similar, and it has been reported that several common human ocular toxicants cause comparable toxicity in zebrafish. Vision develops rapidly in zebrafish; the tiny larvae rely on visual cues as early as 4 days, and behavioral responses to those cues can be monitored in high-throughput fashion. This article describes the comparative anatomy of the zebrafish eye, the notable differences from the mammalian eye, and presents practical applications of this underutilized model for assessment of ocular toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Cassar
- Preclinical Safety, 419726AbbVie, Inc, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Christina Dunn
- Preclinical Safety, 419726AbbVie, Inc, North Chicago, IL, USA
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6
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Sheikh MO, Halmo SM, Wells L. Recent advancements in understanding mammalian O-mannosylation. Glycobiology 2017; 27:806-819. [PMID: 28810660 PMCID: PMC6082599 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwx062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 06/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The post-translational glycosylation of select proteins by O-linked mannose (O-mannose or O-man) is a conserved modification from yeast to humans and has been shown to be necessary for proper development and growth. The most well studied O-mannosylated mammalian protein is α-dystroglycan (α-DG). Hypoglycosylation of α-DG results in varying severities of congenital muscular dystrophies, cancer progression and metastasis, and inhibited entry and infection of certain arenaviruses. Defects in the gene products responsible for post-translational modification of α-DG, primarily glycosyltransferases, are the basis for these diseases. The multitude of clinical phenotypes resulting from defective O-mannosylation highlights the biomedical significance of this unique modification. Elucidation of the various O-mannose biosynthetic pathways is imperative to understanding a broad range of human diseases and for the development of novel therapeutics. In this review, we will focus on recent discoveries delineating the various enzymes, structures and functions associated with O-mannose-initiated glycoproteins. Additionally, we discuss current gaps in our knowledge of mammalian O-mannosylation, discuss the evolution of this pathway, and illustrate the utility and limitations of model systems to study functions of O-mannosylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Osman Sheikh
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Stephanie M Halmo
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Lance Wells
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Marchese M, Pappalardo A, Baldacci J, Verri T, Doccini S, Cassandrini D, Bruno C, Fiorillo C, Garcia-Gil M, Bertini E, Pitto L, Santorelli FM. Dolichol-phosphate mannose synthase depletion in zebrafish leads to dystrophic muscle with hypoglycosylated α-dystroglycan. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 477:137-143. [PMID: 27291147 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Defective dolichol-phosphate mannose synthase (DPMS) complex is a rare cause of congenital muscular dystrophy associated with hypoglycosylation of alpha-dystroglycan (α-DG) in skeletal muscle. We used the zebrafish (Danio rerio) to model muscle abnormalities due to defects in the subunits of DPMS. The three zebrafish ortholog subunits (encoded by the dpm1, dpm2 and dpm3 genes, respectively) showed high similarity to the human proteins, and their expression displayed localization in the midbrain/hindbrain area and somites. Antisense morpholino oligonucleotides targeting each subunit were used to transiently deplete the dpm genes. The resulting morphant embryos showed early death, muscle disorganization, low DPMS complex activity, and increased levels of apoptotic nuclei, together with hypoglycosylated α-DG in muscle fibers, thus recapitulating most of the characteristics seen in patients with mutations in DPMS. Our results in zebrafish suggest that DPMS plays a role in stabilizing muscle structures and in apoptotic cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Marchese
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris, Via dei Giacinti 2, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Pappalardo
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris, Via dei Giacinti 2, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Jacopo Baldacci
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris, Via dei Giacinti 2, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tiziano Verri
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, S.P. 6 Lecce-Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy
| | - Stefano Doccini
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris, Via dei Giacinti 2, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Denise Cassandrini
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris, Via dei Giacinti 2, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudio Bruno
- Center of Myology and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto G. Gaslini, Largo Gaslini 5, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Fiorillo
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris, Via dei Giacinti 2, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mercedes Garcia-Gil
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Luca Ghini 13, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Enrico Bertini
- IRCCS Bambino Gesù Hospital, Viale S. Paolo 15, 00146, Rome, Italy
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Where do we stand in trial readiness for autosomal recessive limb girdle muscular dystrophies? Neuromuscul Disord 2015; 26:111-25. [PMID: 26810373 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2015.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Revised: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Autosomal recessive limb girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD2) are a group of genetically heterogeneous diseases that are typically characterised by progressive weakness and wasting of the shoulder and pelvic girdle muscles. Many of the more than 20 different conditions show overlapping clinical features with other forms of muscular dystrophy, congenital, myofibrillar or even distal myopathies and also with acquired muscle diseases. Although individually extremely rare, all types of LGMD2 together form an important differential diagnostic group among neuromuscular diseases. Despite improved diagnostics and pathomechanistic insight, a curative therapy is currently lacking for any of these diseases. Medical care consists of the symptomatic treatment of complications, aiming to improve life expectancy and quality of life. Besides well characterised pre-clinical tools like animal models and cell culture assays, the determinants of successful drug development programmes for rare diseases include a good understanding of the phenotype and natural history of the disease, the existence of clinically relevant outcome measures, guidance on care standards, up to date patient registries, and, ideally, biomarkers that can help assess disease severity or drug response. Strong patient organisations driving research and successful partnerships between academia, advocacy, industry and regulatory authorities can also help accelerate the elaboration of clinical trials. All these determinants constitute aspects of translational research efforts and influence patient access to therapies. Here we review the current status of determinants of successful drug development programmes for LGMD2, and the challenges of translating promising therapeutic strategies into effective and accessible treatments for patients.
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Fero K, Bergeron SA, Horstick EJ, Codore H, Li GH, Ono F, Dowling JJ, Burgess HA. Impaired embryonic motility in dusp27 mutants reveals a developmental defect in myofibril structure. Dis Model Mech 2013; 7:289-98. [PMID: 24203884 PMCID: PMC3917250 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.013235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
An essential step in muscle fiber maturation is the assembly of highly ordered myofibrils that are required for contraction. Much remains unknown about the molecular mechanisms governing the formation of the contractile apparatus. We identified an early embryonic motility mutant in zebrafish caused by integration of a transgene into the pseudophosphatase dual specificity phosphatase 27 (dusp27) gene. dusp27 mutants exhibit near complete paralysis at embryonic and larval stages, producing extremely low levels of spontaneous coiling movements and a greatly diminished touch response. Loss of dusp27 does not prevent somitogenesis but results in severe disorganization of the contractile apparatus in muscle fibers. Sarcomeric structures in mutants are almost entirely absent and only rare triads are observed. These findings are the first to implicate a functional role of dusp27 as a gene required for myofiber maturation and provide an animal model for analyzing the mechanisms governing myofibril assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kandice Fero
- Program in Genomics of Differentiation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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