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Bracamonte AG. Current Advances in Nanotechnology for the Next Generation of Sequencing (NGS). BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:260. [PMID: 36832027 PMCID: PMC9954403 DOI: 10.3390/bios13020260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This communication aims at discussing strategies based on developments from nanotechnology focused on the next generation of sequencing (NGS). In this regard, it should be noted that even in the advanced current situation of many techniques and methods accompanied with developments of technology, there are still existing challenges and needs focused on real samples and low concentrations of genomic materials. The approaches discussed/described adopt spectroscopical techniques and new optical setups. PCR bases are introduced to understand the role of non-covalent interactions by discussing about Nobel prizes related to genomic material detection. The review also discusses colorimetric methods, polymeric transducers, fluorescence detection methods, enhanced plasmonic techniques such as metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF), semiconductors, and developments in metamaterials. In addition, nano-optics, challenges linked to signal transductions, and how the limitations reported in each technique could be overcome are considered in real samples. Accordingly, this study shows developments where optical active nanoplatforms generate signal detection and transduction with enhanced performances and, in many cases, enhanced signaling from single double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) interactions. Future perspectives on miniaturized instrumentation, chips, and devices aimed at detecting genomic material are analyzed. However, the main concept in this report derives from gained insights into nanochemistry and nano-optics. Such concepts could be incorporated into other higher-sized substrates and experimental and optical setups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel Guillermo Bracamonte
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Físicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina; or
- Departement de Chimie et Centre d’Optique, Photonique et Laser (COPL), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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2
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Chu WK, Huang SC, Chang CF, Wu JL, Gong HY. Infertility control of transgenic fluorescent zebrafish with targeted mutagenesis of the dnd1 gene by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. Front Genet 2023; 14:1029200. [PMID: 36713075 PMCID: PMC9881232 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1029200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Transgenic technology and selective breeding have great potential for the genetic breeding in both edible fish and ornamental fish. The development of infertility control technologies in transgenic fish and farmed fish is the critical issue to prevent the gene flow with wild relatives. In this study, we report the genome editing of the dead end (dnd1) gene in the zebrafish model, using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology to achieve a loss-of-function mutation in both wild-type zebrafish and transgenic fluorescent zebrafish to develop complete infertility control technology of farmed fish and transgenic fish. We effectively performed targeted mutagenesis in the dnd1 gene of zebrafish with a single gRNA, which resulted in a small deletion (-7 bp) or insertion (+41 bp) in exon 2, leading to a null mutation. Heterozygotes and homozygotes of dnd1-knockout zebrafish were both selected by genotyping in the F 1 and F 2 generations. Based on a comparison of histological sections of the gonads between wild-type, heterozygous, and homozygous dnd1 zebrafish mutants, the dnd1 homozygous mutation (aa) resulted in the loss of germ cells. Still, there was no difference between the wild-type (AA) and dnd1 heterozygous (Aa) zebrafish. The homozygous dnd1 mutants of adult zebrafish and transgenic fluorescent zebrafish became all male, which had normal courtship behavior to induce wild-type female zebrafish spawning. However, they both had no sperm to fertilize the spawned eggs from wild-type females. Thus, all the unfertilized eggs died within 10 h. The targeted mutagenesis of the dnd1 gene using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology is stably heritable by crossing of fertile heterozygous mutants to obtain sterile homozygous mutants. It can be applied in the infertility control of transgenic fluorescent fish and genetically improved farmed fish by selective breeding to promote ecologically responsible aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai-Kwan Chu
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan,Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Chin Huang
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Fong Chang
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan,Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Jen-Leih Wu
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan,College of Life Sciences, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Hong-Yi Gong
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan,Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan,*Correspondence: Hong-Yi Gong,
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Identification of Fish Species and Targeted Genetic Modifications Based on DNA Analysis: State of the Art. Foods 2023; 12:foods12010228. [PMID: 36613444 PMCID: PMC9818732 DOI: 10.3390/foods12010228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Food adulteration is one of the most serious problems regarding food safety and quality worldwide. Besides misleading consumers, it poses a considerable health risk associated with the potential non-labeled allergen content. Fish and fish products are one of the most expensive and widely traded commodities, which predisposes them to being adulterated. Among all fraud types, replacing high-quality or rare fish with a less valuable species predominates. Because fish differ in their allergen content, specifically the main one, parvalbumin, their replacement can endanger consumers. This underlines the need for reliable, robust control systems for fish species identification. Various methods may be used for the aforementioned purpose. DNA-based methods are favored due to the characteristics of the target molecule, DNA, which is heat resistant, and the fact that through its sequencing, several other traits, including the recognition of genetic modifications, can be determined. Thus, they are considered to be powerful tools for identifying cases of food fraud. In this review, the major DNA-based methods applicable for fish meat and product authentication and their commercial applications are discussed, the possibilities of detecting genetic modifications in fish are evaluated, and future trends are highlighted, emphasizing the need for comprehensive and regularly updated online database resources.
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Lai KP, Gong Z, Tse WKF. Zebrafish as the toxicant screening model: Transgenic and omics approaches. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 234:105813. [PMID: 33812311 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The production of large amounts of synthetic industrial and biomedical compounds, together with environmental pollutants, poses a risk to our ecosystem and induces negative effects on the health of wildlife and human beings. With the emergence of the global problem of chemical contamination, the adverse biological effects of these chemicals are gaining attention among the scientific communities, industry, governments, and the public. Among these chemicals, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are regarded as one of the major global issues that potentially affecting our health. There is an urgent need of understanding the potential hazards of such chemicals. Zebrafish have been widely used in the aquatic toxicology. In this review, we first discuss the strategy of transgenic lines that used in the toxicological studies, followed by summarizing the current omics approaches (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and epigenomics) on toxicities of EDCs in this model. We will also discuss the possible transgenerational effects in zebrafish and future prospective of the integrated omics approaches with customized transgenic organism. To conclude, we summarize the current findings in the field, and provide our opinions on future environmental toxicity research in the zebrafish model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keng Po Lai
- Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Integrative Omics, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541004, PR China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Microenvironmental Regulation, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541004, PR China; Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.
| | - Zhiyuan Gong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
| | - William Ka Fai Tse
- Center for Promotion of International Education and Research, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
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5
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Inhibition of Intestinal Lipid Absorption by Cyanobacterial Strains in Zebrafish Larvae. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:md19030161. [PMID: 33803803 PMCID: PMC8003170 DOI: 10.3390/md19030161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a complex metabolic disease, which is increasing worldwide. The reduction of dietary lipid intake is considered an interesting pathway to reduce fat absorption and to affect the chronic energy imbalance. In this study, zebrafish larvae were used to analyze effects of cyanobacteria on intestinal lipid absorption in vivo. In total, 263 fractions of a cyanobacterial library were screened for PED6 activity, a fluorescent reporter of intestinal lipases, and 11 fractions reduced PED6 activity > 30%. Toxicity was not observed for those fractions, considering mortality, malformations or digestive physiology (protease inhibition). Intestinal long-chain fatty acid uptake (C16) was reduced, but not short-chain fatty acid uptake (C5). Alteration of lipid classes by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) or lipid processing by fluorescent HPTLC was analyzed, and 2 fractions significantly reduced the whole-body triglyceride level. Bioactivity-guided feature-based molecular networking of LC-MS/MS data identified 14 significant bioactive mass peaks (p < 0.01, correlation > 0.95), which consisted of 3 known putative and 11 unknown compounds. All putatively identified compounds were known to be involved in lipid metabolism and obesity. Summarizing, some cyanobacterial strains repressed intestinal lipid absorption without any signs of toxicity and could be developed in the future as nutraceuticals to combat obesity.
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Production of genome-edited Daphnia for heavy metal detection by fluorescence. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21490. [PMID: 33293611 PMCID: PMC7722880 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78572-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquatic heavy metal pollution is a growing concern. To facilitate heavy metal monitoring in water, we developed transgenic Daphnia that are highly sensitive to heavy metals and respond to them rapidly. Metallothionein A, which was a metal response gene, and its promoter region was obtained from Daphnia magna. A chimeric gene fusing the promoter region with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene was integrated into D. magna using the TALEN technique and transgenic Daphnia named D. magna MetalloG were produced. When D. magna MetalloG was exposed to heavy metal solutions for 1 h, GFP expression was induced only in their midgut and hepatopancreas. The lowest concentrations of heavy metals that activated GFP expression were 1.2 µM Zn2+, 130 nM Cu2+, and 70 nM Cd2+. Heavy metal exposure for 24 h could lower the thresholds even further. D. magna MetalloG facilitates aqueous heavy metal detection and might enhance water quality monitoring.
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Trigueiro NSDS, Canedo A, Braga DLDS, Luchiari AC, Rocha TL. Zebrafish as an Emerging Model System in the Global South: Two Decades of Research in Brazil. Zebrafish 2020; 17:412-425. [PMID: 33090089 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2020.1930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an emerging model system in several research areas worldwide, especially in the Global South. In this context, the present study revised the historical use and trends of zebrafish as experimental models in Brazil. The data concerning the bibliometric parameters, research areas, geographic distribution, experimental design, zebrafish strain, and reporter lines, as well as recent advances were revised. In addition, the comparative trends of Brazilian and global research were discussed. Revised data showed the rapid growth of Brazilian scientific production using zebrafish as a model, especially in three main research areas (Neuroscience &and Behavior, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Environment/Ecology). Studies were conducted in 19 Brazilian states (70.37%), confirming the wide geographic distribution and importance of zebrafish research. Results indicated that research related to toxicological approaches are widespread in Global South countries such as Brazil. Studies were performed mainly using in vivo tests (89.58%) with adult fish (59.75%) and embryos (30.67%). Moreover, significant research gaps and recommendations for future research are presented. The present study shows that the zebrafish is a suitable vertebrate model system in the Global South.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Silvestre de Souza Trigueiro
- Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology, Department of Biosciences and Technology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Aryelle Canedo
- Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology, Department of Biosciences and Technology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Daniel Lôbo de Siqueira Braga
- Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology, Department of Biosciences and Technology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Luchiari
- Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Thiago Lopes Rocha
- Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology, Department of Biosciences and Technology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
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8
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Torre-Fuentes L, Moreno-Jiménez L, Pytel V, Matías-Guiu J, Gómez-Pinedo U, Matías-Guiu J. Experimental models of demyelination and remyelination. NEUROLOGÍA (ENGLISH EDITION) 2020. [PMCID: PMC7148713 DOI: 10.1016/j.nrleng.2019.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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9
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Park H, Lee JY, Park S, Song G, Lim W. Developmental toxicity and angiogenic defects of etoxazole exposed zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2019; 217:105324. [PMID: 31634662 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2019.105324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Etoxazole, a chitin synthesis inhibitor, is widely used to control insects and mites by causing developmental defects. Despite the many advantages of pesticides, the inhibitory effects of most pesticides including etoxazole are based on biochemical reaction and their widespread application is considered as a major risk to human health and the environment because of bioaccumulation and non-target toxic effects. Though used in agricultural area, the pesticide residues run off through rivers or ocean, where diverse aquatic organisms live. Since there are no studies evaluating the risks of etoxazole exposure in embryogenesis of aquatic organisms, we investigated the adverse effects of etoxazole on development and angiogenesis in zebrafish embryos, which are considered to be an effective model for detecting ecotoxicological effects of widely used compounds, especially affecting aquatic organisms. Etoxazole induced yolk sac and heart edema, as well as loss of viability, abnormal heart rate, and developmental deficiency. Through a mechanistic approach, we also showed that etoxazole caused reactive oxygen species accumulation, inhibited the expression of cell cycle activating genes, and induced apoptosis. In addition, we investigated effects of etoxazole on cardiovascular development by demonstrating the loss of vascular structure in response to etoxazole exposure in fli1:eGFP transgenic zebrafish model. Collectively, this first assessment demonstrating the effects of etoxazole on embryogenesis and cardiovascular development provides clear evidence for the toxicity of etoxazole and contributes important data towards formulating safety guidelines on the potential hazards of etoxazole for aquatic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hahyun Park
- Institute of Animal Molecular Biotechnology and Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Young Lee
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Sunwoo Park
- Institute of Animal Molecular Biotechnology and Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwonhwa Song
- Institute of Animal Molecular Biotechnology and Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Whasun Lim
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Kookmin University, Seoul, 02707, Republic of Korea.
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10
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Torre-Fuentes L, Moreno-Jiménez L, Pytel V, Matías-Guiu JA, Gómez-Pinedo U, Matías-Guiu J. Experimental models of demyelination and remyelination. Neurologia 2017; 35:32-39. [PMID: 28863829 PMCID: PMC7115679 DOI: 10.1016/j.nrl.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Introducción El uso de modelos experimentales en animales permite aumentar el conocimiento sobre la patología del sistema nervioso central. Sin embargo, en la esclerosis múltiple, no existe un modelo que permita una visión general de la enfermedad, de forma que es necesario utilizar una variedad de modelos que abarquen los distintos cambios que se producen. Desarrollo Se revisan los distintos modelos experimentales que pueden ser utilizados en la investigación en la esclerosis múltiple, tanto in vitro como in vivo. En relación a los modelos in vitro se analizan los distintos cultivos celulares y sus potenciales modificaciones así como los modelos en rodajas. En los modelos in vivo, se analizan los modelos de base inmune-inflamatoria como la encefalitis alérgica experimental en los distintos animales, además de las enfermedades desmielinizantes por virus. Por otro lado, se analizan los modelos de desmielinización-remielinización incluyéndose las lesiones químicas por cuprizona, lisolecitina, bromuro de etidio, así como el modelo de zebrafish y los modelos transgénicos. Conclusiones Los modelos experimentales nos permiten acercarnos al conocimiento de los diversos mecanismos que ocurren en la esclerosis múltiple. La utilización de cada uno de ellos depende de los objetivos de investigación que planteen.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Torre-Fuentes
- Servicio de Neurología, Instituto de Neurociencias, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España.
| | - L Moreno-Jiménez
- Servicio de Neurología, Instituto de Neurociencias, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España
| | - V Pytel
- Servicio de Neurología, Instituto de Neurociencias, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España
| | - J A Matías-Guiu
- Servicio de Neurología, Instituto de Neurociencias, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España
| | - U Gómez-Pinedo
- Servicio de Neurología, Instituto de Neurociencias, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España
| | - J Matías-Guiu
- Servicio de Neurología, Instituto de Neurociencias, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España
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Froschauer A, Kube L, Kegler A, Rieger C, Gutzeit HO. Tunable Protein Stabilization In Vivo Mediated by Shield-1 in Transgenic Medaka. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131252. [PMID: 26148066 PMCID: PMC4493054 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Techniques for conditional gene or protein expression are important tools in developmental biology and in the analysis of physiology and disease. On the protein level, the tunable and reversible expression of proteins can be achieved by the fusion of the protein of interest to a destabilizing domain (DD). In the absence of its specific ligand (Shield-1), the protein is degraded by the proteasome. The DD-Shield system has proven to be an excellent tool to regulate the expression of proteins of interests in mammalian systems but has not been applied in teleosts like the medaka. We present the application of the DD-Shield technique in transgenic medaka and show the ubiquitous conditional expression throughout life. Shield-1 administration to the water leads to concentration-dependent induction of a YFP reporter gene in various organs and in spermatogonia at the cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa Kube
- Institute of Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexandra Kegler
- Institute of Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christiane Rieger
- Institute of Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Herwig O. Gutzeit
- Institute of Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Abstract
The use of transgenics in fish is a relatively recent development for advancing understanding of genetic mechanisms and developmental processes, improving aquaculture, and for pharmaceutical discovery. Transgenic fish have also been applied in ecotoxicology where they have the potential to provide more advanced and integrated systems for assessing health impacts of chemicals. The zebrafish (Daniorerio) is the most popular fish for transgenic models, for reasons including their high fecundity, transparency of their embryos, rapid organogenesis and availability of extensive genetic resources. The most commonly used technique for producing transgenic zebrafish is via microinjection of transgenes into fertilized eggs. Transposon and meganuclease have become the most reliable methods for insertion of the genetic construct in the production of stable transgenic fish lines. The GAL4-UAS system, where GAL4 is placed under the control of a desired promoter and UAS is fused with a fluorescent marker, has greatly enhanced model development for studies in ecotoxicology. Transgenic fish have been developed to study for the effects of heavy metal toxicity (via heat-shock protein genes), oxidative stress (via an electrophile-responsive element), for various organic chemicals acting through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, thyroid and glucocorticoid response pathways, and estrogenicity. These models vary in their sensitivity with only very few able to detect responses for environmentally relevant exposures. Nevertheless, the potential of these systems for analyses of chemical effects in real time and across multiple targets in intact organisms is considerable. Here we illustrate the techniques used for generating transgenic zebrafish and assess progress in the development and application of transgenic fish (principally zebrafish) for studies in environmental toxicology. We further provide a viewpoint on future development opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Okhyun Lee
- Biosciences, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter , Exeter, Devon , UK
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Lin YH, Peng KC, Pan CY, Wen ZH, Chen JY. Expression characterization and promoter activity analysis of the tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) myosin light chain 3 promoter in skeletal muscle of fish. Transgenic Res 2014; 23:125-34. [PMID: 24146265 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-013-9758-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
A tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) myosin light chain 3 (Mlc3) promoter region (~4.3 kb) was isolated and characterized. Sequence analysis of the clone revealed high similarity with a tilapia gene encoding the Mlc3 promoter region, exon 1, and intron 1. The clone contained several putative binding sequences for transcription factors, including MEF-2, MYOG, MyoD, PKNOX1, and AREB6. Deletion of a region of the tilapia Mlc3 promoter (801 to -3,881 bp) enhanced promoter activity, as determined by direct injection of a luciferase reporter construct into skeletal muscle of Archocentrus nigrofasciatus. These findings suggest that the region between -801 and -3,881 bp may contain negative regulatory elements. Stable germline transgenic strains of the ornamental fish species A. nigrofasciatus var. carrying the Taiwan coral red fluorescent protein (TcRFP) driven by the Mlc3 promoter were established. F1 adult transgenic A. nigrofasciatus var. exhibited brilliant pink fluorescence in skeletal muscles in the daylight. Therefore, our current study demonstrates the feasibility of using the tilapia Mlc3 promoter to drive fluorescence in new fish species, such as Perciformes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ho Lin
- Marine Biomedical Laboratory and Center for Translational Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, 70 Lien-Hai Rd, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan
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Shimizu A, Shimizu N. Dual promoter expression system with insulator ensures a stringent tissue-specific regulation of two reporter genes in the transgenic fish. Transgenic Res 2013; 22:435-44. [PMID: 22983842 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-012-9653-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 09/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The precise control of spatiotemporal expression of target genes is crucial when establishing transgenic animals, and the introduction of genes for fluorescent marker proteins is inevitable for accelerating research at molecular levels. To assist this, we constructed a novel dual promoter expression vector for two independent reporter genes, green fluorescent protein (GFP) and red fluorescent protein (mCherry). Their expression is designed under the control of two distinct tissue-specific promoters, e.g. zebrafish cardiac muscle-specific promoter (cmlc2) and medaka skeletal muscle-specific promoter (myl2) derived from the myosin light chain 2 genes, and they are placed in a head-to-head orientation. After microinjecting the dual promoter expression vector into fertilized eggs of medaka, the developing fish embryos and the resulting transgenic fish lines showed strong GFP signal in the whole body (skeletal muscle) and mCherry signal in the heart (cardiac muscle). However, weak GFP signal was observed in the heart, indicating a leakiness of the skeletal muscle promoter. To improve the stringency of dual promoter expression, we inserted two chicken-derived insulators, e.g. tandem copies of the core sequence (250 bp) of cHS4 (5'-hypersensitive site-4 chicken beta-globin insulator), in the boundary of two promoters. The dual promoter expression vector with insulator now ensured the stringent tissue-specific expression in the transgenic fish lines. Thus, our dual promoter expression system with insulator is compatible to the conventional IRES and fused reporter gene systems and will be an alternative method to produce the transgenic fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Shimizu
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
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15
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Zhang X, Gong Z. Fluorescent transgenic zebrafish Tg(nkx2.2a:mEGFP) provides a highly sensitive monitoring tool for neurotoxins. PLoS One 2013; 8:e55474. [PMID: 23383332 PMCID: PMC3562320 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2012] [Accepted: 12/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously a standard toxicological test termed as DarT (Danio rerio Teratogenic assay) using wild type zebrafish embryos has been established and it is widely applied in toxicological and chemical screenings. As an increasing number of fluorescent transgenic zebrafish lines with specific fluorescent protein expression specifically expressed in different organs and tissues, we envision that the fluorescent markers may provide more sensitive endpoints for monitoring chemical induced phenotypical changes. Here we employed Tg(nkx2.2a:mEGFP) transgenic zebrafish which have GFP expression in the central nervous system to investigate its potential for screening neurotoxic chemicals. Five potential neurotoxins (acetaminophen, atenolol, atrazine, ethanol and lindane) and one neuroprotectant (mefenamic acid) were tested. We found that the GFP-labeled ventral axons from trunk motoneurons, which were easily observed in live fry and measured for quantification, were a highly sensitive to all of the five neurotoxins and the length of axons was significantly reduced in fry which looked normal based on DarT endpoints at low concentrations of neurotoxins. Compared to the most sensitive endpoints of DarT, ventral axon marker could improve the detection limit of these neurotoxins by about 10 fold. In contrast, there was no improvement for detection of the mefenamic acid compared to all DarT endpoints. Thus, ventral axon lengths provide a convenient and measureable marker specifically for neurotoxins. Our study may open a new avenue to use other fluorescent transgenic zebrafish embryos/fry to develop sensitive and specific toxicological tests for different categories of chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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16
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Froschauer A, Khatun MM, Sprott D, Franz A, Rieger C, Pfennig F, Gutzeit HO. oct4-EGFP reporter gene expression marks the stem cells in embryonic development and in adult gonads of transgenic medaka. Mol Reprod Dev 2012; 80:48-58. [PMID: 23139203 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2012] [Accepted: 10/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Maintenance of pluripotency in stem cells is tightly regulated among vertebrates. One of the key genes in this process is oct4, also referred to as pou5f1 in mammals and pou2 in teleosts. Pou5f1 evolved by duplication of pou2 early in the tetrapod lineage, but only monotremes and marsupials retained both genes. Either pou2 or pou5f1 was lost from the genomes of the other tetrapods that have been analyzed to date. Consequently, these two homologous genes are often designated oct4 in functional studies. In most vertebrates oct4 is expressed in pluripotent cells of the early embryo until the blastula stage, and later persist in germline stem cells until adulthood. The isolation and analysis of stem cells from embryo or adult individuals is hampered by the need for reliable markers that can identify and define the cell populations. Here, we report the faithful expression of EGFP under the control of endogenous pou2/oct4 promoters in transgenic medaka (Oryzias latipes). In vivo imaging in oct4-EGFP transgenic medaka reveals the temporal and spatial expression of pou2 in embryos and adults alike. We describe the temporal and spatial patterns of endogenous pou2 and oct4-EGFP expression in medaka with respect to germline and adult stem cells, and discuss applications of oct4-EGFP transgenic medaka in reproductive and stem cell biology.
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17
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Goswami M, Lakra WS, Yadav K, Jena JK. Development of an ES-like cell culture system (RESC) from rohu, Labeo rohita (Ham.). FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2012; 38:1775-1783. [PMID: 22707190 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-012-9674-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2012] [Accepted: 05/30/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
An embryonic stem (ES)-like cell culture system RESC from a commercially important freshwater carp, Labeo rohita, was developed using blastula stage embryos. The cells were cultured in Leibovitz-15 (L-15) medium in gelatin-coated cell culture flask supplemented with 15 % fetal bovine serum along with 10 ng ml(-1) basic fibroblast growth factor at 28 °C under feeder-free conditions. The ES-like cells were characterized by their unique morphology, alkaline phosphatase activity, embryoid body formation tendency, expression of transcription factor Oct4, and consistent chromosome count. The RESC cells when treated with retinoic acid differentiated into cells of different lineages. The RESC developed from mid-blastula embryos of L. rohita would be a useful tool for cellular differentiation and gene expression studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Goswami
- National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Lucknow, 226002, UP, India.
| | - W S Lakra
- Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Versova, Andheri (W), Mumbai, 400061, India
| | - Kamalendra Yadav
- National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Lucknow, 226002, UP, India
| | - J K Jena
- National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Lucknow, 226002, UP, India
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18
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Cho YS, Lee SY, Kim YK, Kim DS, Nam YK. Functional ability of cytoskeletal β-actin regulator to drive constitutive and ubiquitous expression of a fluorescent reporter throughout the life cycle of transgenic marine medaka Oryzias dancena. Transgenic Res 2011; 20:1333-55. [PMID: 21437716 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-011-9501-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2010] [Accepted: 02/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Marine medaka Oryzias dancena, a candidate model organism, represents many attractive merits as a material for experimental transgenesis and/or heterologous expression assay particularly in the field of ecotoxicology and developmental biology. In this study, cytoskeletal β-actin gene was characterized from O. dancena and the functional capability of its promoter to drive constitutive expression of foreign reporter protein was evaluated. The O. dancena β-actin gene possessed a conserved genomic organization of vertebrate major cytoplasmic actin genes and the bioinformatic analysis of its 5'-upstream regulatory region predicted various transcription factor binding motifs. Heterologous expression assay using a red fluorescent protein (RFP) reporter construct driven by the O. dancena β-actin regulator resulted in stunningly bright expression of red fluorescence signals in not only microinjected embryos but also grown-up transgenic adults. Although founder transgenics exhibited mosaic patterns of RFP expression, transgenic offspring in subsequent generations displayed a vivid and uniform expression of RFP continually from embryos to adults. Based on the blot hybridization assays, two transgenic lines established in this study were proven to possess high copy numbers of transgene integrants (approximately 240 and 34 copies, respectively), and the transgenic genotype in both lines could successfully be passed stably up to three generations, although the rate of transgene transmission in one of the two transgenic lines was significantly lower than expected Mendelian ratio. Significant red fluorescence color could be ubiquitously observable in all the tissues or organs of the transgenics. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR represented that the expression pattern of transgene under the regulation of β-actin promoter would resemble, in overall, the regulation of endogenous β-actin gene in adult tissues, although putative mechanism for competitive or independent regulation between transgene and endogenous gene could also be found in several tissues. Results from this study undoubtedly indicate that the O. dancena β-actin promoter would be powerful enough to fluorescently visualize most cell types in vivo throughout its whole lifespan. This study could be a useful start point for a variety of transgenic experiments with this species concerning the constitutive expression of living fluorescent color reporters and other foreign proteins.
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MESH Headings
- Actins/genetics
- Actins/metabolism
- Animal Structures/cytology
- Animal Structures/metabolism
- Animals
- Animals, Genetically Modified/genetics
- Animals, Genetically Modified/metabolism
- Blotting, Southern
- Cloning, Molecular
- Computational Biology
- Cytoskeleton/genetics
- Cytoskeleton/metabolism
- Embryo, Nonmammalian/cytology
- Embryo, Nonmammalian/embryology
- Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism
- Embryonic Development
- Female
- Fish Proteins/genetics
- Fish Proteins/metabolism
- Gene Dosage
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Gene Library
- Genes, Reporter
- Genetic Vectors/genetics
- Genetic Vectors/metabolism
- Inheritance Patterns
- Luminescent Proteins/genetics
- Luminescent Proteins/metabolism
- Male
- Microinjections
- Microscopy, Fluorescence
- Oryzias/embryology
- Oryzias/genetics
- Oryzias/metabolism
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods
- Transcription Factors/genetics
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Transgenes
- Red Fluorescent Protein
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Sun Cho
- Institute of Marine Living Modified Organisms, Pukyong National University, Busan 608-737, Korea
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19
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Abstract
As the current paradigms of drug discovery evolve, it has become clear that a more comprehensive understanding of the interactions between small molecules and organismal biology will be vital. The zebrafish is emerging as a complement to existing in vitro technologies and established preclinical in vivo models that can be scaled for high-throughput. In this review, we highlight the current status of zebrafish toxicology studies, identify potential future niches for the model in the drug development pipeline, and define the hurdles that must be overcome as zebrafish technologies are refined for systematic toxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall T Peterson
- Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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20
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Aanes H, Winata CL, Lin CH, Chen JP, Srinivasan KG, Lee SGP, Lim AYM, Hajan HS, Collas P, Bourque G, Gong Z, Korzh V, Aleström P, Mathavan S. Zebrafish mRNA sequencing deciphers novelties in transcriptome dynamics during maternal to zygotic transition. Genome Res 2011; 21:1328-38. [PMID: 21555364 DOI: 10.1101/gr.116012.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Maternally deposited mRNAs direct early development before the initiation of zygotic transcription during mid-blastula transition (MBT). To study mechanisms regulating this developmental event in zebrafish, we applied mRNA deep sequencing technology and generated comprehensive information and valuable resources on transcriptome dynamics during early embryonic (egg to early gastrulation) stages. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis documented at least 8000 maternal genes and identified the earliest cohort of zygotic transcripts. We determined expression levels of maternal and zygotic transcripts with the highest resolution possible using mRNA-seq and clustered them based on their expression pattern. We unravel delayed polyadenylation in a large cohort of maternal transcripts prior to the MBT for the first time in zebrafish. Blocking polyadenylation of these transcripts confirms their role in regulating development from the MBT onward. Our study also identified a large number of novel transcribed regions in annotated and unannotated regions of the genome, which will facilitate reannotation of the zebrafish genome. We also identified splice variants with an estimated frequency of 50%-60%. Taken together, our data constitute a useful genomic information and valuable transcriptome resource for gene discovery and for understanding the mechanisms of early embryogenesis in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Håvard Aanes
- BasAM, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, 0033 Oslo, Norway
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21
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Froschauer A, Sprott D, Gerwien F, Henker Y, Rudolph F, Pfennig F, Gutzeit HO. Effective generation of transgenic reporter and gene trap lines of the medaka (Oryzias latipes) using the Ac/Ds transposon system. Transgenic Res 2011; 21:149-62. [PMID: 21533666 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-011-9514-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2010] [Accepted: 04/15/2011] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
In model teleost fishes like the medaka and the zebrafish many genes which have been identified in genome sequencing projects await their functional characterization. Techniques for the effective generation of transgenic animals are a prerequisite for this challenging task, and, due to their transparency, fish offer the possibility to combine the use of fluorescent proteins and developmental analysis in vivo. Here we describe the application of the Ac/Ds transposon system to generate transgenic medaka reporter and gene trap lines. We determined a germline transmission rate of 30% in our experiments using constructs ranging in size from 1.8 to 6 kilobase pairs. The genomic integration site of the Ds-elements can be easily identified which is an important feature for gene trap mutagenesis experiments and similar approaches. We constructed gene trap vectors with functional elements of medaka sequences that produce in frame fusions of the endogenous sequence to EGFP. These vectors mimic endogenous expression of the trapped allele in transgenic animals and are capable to interfere with the expression of the wild type allele in the homozygous individuals.
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22
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Dash C, Routray P, Tripathy S, Verma DK, Guru BC, Meher PK, Nandi S, Eknath AE. Derivation and characterization of embryonic stem-like cells of Indian major carp Catla catla. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2010; 77:1096-1113. [PMID: 21039493 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2010.02755.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Embryonic stem (ES)-like cells were derived from mid-blastula stage embryos of a freshwater fish, catla Catla catla, under feeder-free condition and designated as CCES cells. The conditioned media was optimized with 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS), fish embryo extract (FEE) having 100 µg ml(-1) protein concentration, 15 ng ml(-1) basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and basic media containing Leibovitz-15, DMEM with 4·5 g l(-1) glucose and Ham's F12 (LDF) in 2:1:1 ratio using a primary culture of CCES cells. Cells attached to gelatin-coated plates after 24 h of seeding and ES-like colonies were obtained at day 5 onwards. A stable cell culture was obtained after passage 10 and further maintained up to passage 44. These cells were characterized by their typical morphology, high alkaline phosphatase activity, positive expression of cell-surface antigen SSEA-1, transcription factor Oct4, germ cell marker vasa and consistent karyotype up to extended periods. The undifferentiated state was confirmed by their ability to form embryoid bodies and their differentiation potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Dash
- Division of Aquaculture Production and Environment, Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Kausalyaganga, Bhubaneswar 751002, India
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23
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Ghosh J, Wilson RW, Kudoh T. Normal development of the tomato clownfish Amphiprion frenatus: live imaging and in situ hybridization analyses of mesodermal and neurectodermal development. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2009; 75:2287-2298. [PMID: 20738687 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02447.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The normal embryonic development of the tomato clownfish Amphiprion frenatus was analysed using live imaging and by in situ hybridization for detection of mesodermal and neurectodermal development. Both morphology of live embryos and tissue-specific staining revealed significant differences in the gross developmental programme of A. frenatus compared with better-known teleost fish models, in particular, initiation of somitogenesis before complete epiboly, initiation of narrowing of the neurectoderm (neurulation) before somitogenesis, relatively early pigmentation of melanophores at the 10-15 somite stage and a distinctive pattern of melanophore distribution. These results suggest evolutionary adaptability of the teleost developmental programme. The ease of obtaining eggs, in vitro culture of the embryo, in situ staining analyses and these reported characteristics make A. frenatus a potentially important model marine fish species for studying embryonic development, physiology, ecology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Ghosh
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4PS, UK
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24
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Buckley CE, Goldsmith P, Franklin RJM. Zebrafish myelination: a transparent model for remyelination? Dis Model Mech 2009; 1:221-8. [PMID: 19093028 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.001248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
There is currently an unmet need for a therapy that promotes the regenerative process of remyelination in central nervous system diseases, notably multiple sclerosis (MS). A high-throughput model is, therefore, required to screen potential therapeutic drugs and to refine genomic and proteomic data from MS lesions. Here, we review the value of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) larva as a model of the developmental process of myelination, describing the powerful applications of zebrafish for genetic manipulation and genetic screens, as well as some of the exciting imaging capabilities of this model. Finally, we discuss how a model of zebrafish myelination can be used as a high-throughput screening model to predict the effect of compounds on remyelination. We conclude that zebrafish provide a highly versatile myelination model. As more complex transgenic zebrafish lines are developed, it might soon be possible to visualise myelination, or even remyelination, in real time. However, experimental outputs must be designed carefully for such visual and temporal techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare E Buckley
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, UK
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25
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Li Z, Wen C, Peng J, Korzh V, Gong Z. Generation of living color transgenic zebrafish to trace somatostatin-expressing cells and endocrine pancreas organization. Differentiation 2009; 77:128-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2008.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2008] [Revised: 08/10/2008] [Accepted: 08/11/2008] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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26
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Milan DJ, Macrae CA. Zebrafish genetic models for arrhythmia. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2009; 98:301-8. [PMID: 19351520 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2009.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade the zebrafish has emerged as a major genetic model organism. While stimulated originally by the utility of its transparent embryos for the study of vertebrate organogenesis, the success of the zebrafish was consolidated through multiple genetic screens, sequencing of the fish genome by the Sanger Center, and the advent of extensive genomic resources. In the last few years the potential of the zebrafish for in vivo cell biology, physiology, disease modeling and drug discovery has begun to be realized. This review will highlight work on cardiac electrophysiology, emphasizing the arenas in which the zebrafish complements other in vivo and in vitro models; developmental physiology, large-scale screens, high-throughput disease modeling and drug discovery. Much of this work is at an early stage, and so the focus will be on the general principles, the specific advantages of the zebrafish and on future potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Milan
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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27
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Isaeva NM, Morosov-Leonov SY. Transgenic fishes: Modern state of the problem. CYTOL GENET+ 2007. [DOI: 10.3103/s0095452707040123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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28
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Pyati UJ, Look AT, Hammerschmidt M. Zebrafish as a powerful vertebrate model system for in vivo studies of cell death. Semin Cancer Biol 2006; 17:154-65. [PMID: 17210257 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2006.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2006] [Accepted: 11/25/2006] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding and manipulating cell death pathways are critical to our ability to treat human degenerative diseases and cancer. The zebrafish Danio rerio, a common aquatic pet, has evolved as a powerful tool for the discovery of genes regulating cellular suicide both during normal vertebrate development and after genetic or environmental insult. In this review, we describe the techniques that can be applied to studying cell death in zebrafish as well as highlighting what has been discovered so far. Finally, we discuss future perspectives in the field and how they relate to human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ujwal J Pyati
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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29
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Wan H, Korzh S, Li Z, Mudumana SP, Korzh V, Jiang YJ, Lin S, Gong Z. Analyses of pancreas development by generation of gfp transgenic zebrafish using an exocrine pancreas-specific elastaseA gene promoter. Exp Cell Res 2006; 312:1526-39. [PMID: 16490192 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2006.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2005] [Revised: 12/13/2005] [Accepted: 01/18/2006] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In contrast to what we know on development of endocrine pancreas, the formation of exocrine pancreas remains poorly understood. To create an animal model that allows observation of exocrine cell differentiation, proliferation, and morphogenesis in living animals, we used the zebrafish elastaseA (elaA) regulatory sequence to develop transgenic zebrafish that display highly specific exocrine pancreas expression of GFP in both larvae and adult. By following GFP expression, we found that the pancreas in early development was a relatively compact organ and later extended posterior along the intestine. By transferring the elaA:gfp transgene into slow muscle omitted mutant that is deficient in receiving Hedgehog signals, we further showed that Hedgehog signaling is required for exocrine morphogenesis but not for cell differentiation. We also applied the morpholino knockdown and toxin-mediated cell ablation approaches to this transgenic line. We showed that the development of exocrine pancreas is Islet-1 dependent. Injection of the diphtheria toxin A (DTA) construct under the elastaseA promoter resulted in selective ablation of exocrine cells while the endocrine cells and other endodermal derivatives (liver and intestine) were not affected. Thus, our works demonstrated the new transgenic line provided a useful experimental tool in analyzing exocrine pancreas development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Wan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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30
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Yu RMK, Lin CC, Chan PK, Chow ESH, Murphy MB, Chan BP, Müller F, Strähle U, Cheng SH. Four-dimensional imaging and quantification of gene expression in early developing zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Toxicol Sci 2006; 90:529-38. [PMID: 16434501 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfj115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Four-dimensional (4D) imaging is a powerful tool for studying three-dimensional (3D) changes in an organism through time. Different imaging systems for obtaining 3D data from in vivo specimens have been developed but usually involved large and expensive machines. We successfully used a simple inverted compound microscope and a commercially available program to study and quantify in vivo changes in sonic hedgehog (shh) expression during early development in a green fluorescence protein (GFP) transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio) line. We applied the 4D system to study the effect of 100 microM cadmium exposure on shh expression. In control zebrafish embryos, shh:GFP expression was detected at about 9 h post-fertilization (hpf) and increased steadily in the next 7 h, peaking at about 17 hpf and decreasing in the following 4 h. In the same time period, different shh expression volumes were observed in cadmium-treated and control embryos. Embryos affected by cadmium-exposure demonstrated a down-regulation in shh expression. The number of GFP-expressing cells measured by flow cytometry decreased, and expression of neurogenin-1, a downstream target of the shh signaling pathway, was down-regulated, providing additional supporting data on the effects of cadmium on shh. In summary, we demonstrated the setup of a 4D imaging system and its application to the quantification of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M K Yu
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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31
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Zeng Z, Shan T, Tong Y, Lam SH, Gong Z. Development of estrogen-responsive transgenic medaka for environmental monitoring of endocrine disrupters. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2005; 39:9001-8. [PMID: 16323805 DOI: 10.1021/es050728l] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
To develop a transgenic fish system to monitor environmental pollution, we generated a mvtg1:gfp transgenic medaka line, in which the gfp reporter gene was under the control of medaka vitellogenin1 (mvtg1) gene promoter. In this transgenic line, GFP was exclusively expressed in the liver of the mature adult female. Male and juvenile transgenic fish did not express GFP but could be induced to express GFP in the liver after exposure to 17-beta-estradiol (E2). Concurrent accumulation of mvtg1 and gfp mRNAs was observed during both development and estrogen treatment, indicating that the gfp transgene was faithfully expressed under the mvtg1 promoter. Dose- and time-dependent induction of GFP expression by E2 was investigated in male transgenic fish. The lowest-observed-effect concentration (LOEC) of E2 to induce GFP expression was 0.5 microg/L by observation of live fish and 0.05-0.1 microg/L by observation of dissection-exposed liver in a 30 day exposure experiment. GFP expression was observed within 36 h after treatment in high concentrations of E2 (5 microg/L), and it took longer to detect GFP expression under lower concentrations of E2. By removal and readdition of E2, we demonstrated that GFP expression was repeatedly induced. Finally, we also demonstrated that GFP expression could be induced by other estrogenic compounds, including 17-alpha-ethynylestradiol (EE2, 0.05 microg/L), diethylstibestrol (DES, 5 microg/L), estriol (10 microg/ L), and bisphenol A (BPA, 1 mg/L), but not by weak estrogenic chemicals such as nonylphenol (NP, up to 1 mg/ L) and methoxychlor (MXC, up to 20 microg/L). Our experiments indicated the broad application of the transgenic line to monitor a wide range of estrogenic chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Zeng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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32
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Teh C, Parinov S, Korzh V. New ways to admire zebrafish: progress in functional genomics research methodology. Biotechniques 2005; 38:897-906. [PMID: 16018551 DOI: 10.2144/05386rv01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The main challenge of the post-genomic era is to functionally characterize genes identified by the genome sequencing projects. Model organisms, including zebrafish, are indispensable for this demanding task. Zebrafish has been successfully incorporated into large-scale genetic screens due to the optical clarity of the embryos and their accessibility to various experimental techniques throughout development. The attractiveness of the zebrafish as a model organism is enhanced by the availability of continuously improving genomic tools and methodologies for functional characterization of the gene. This article will highlight the current techniques used in the field, with the focus on transgenesis.
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33
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Abstract
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a well-established vertebrate model for studying hematopoiesis. The major advantages of this system include robust experimental techniques in both genetics and embryology, which have been utilized to model many aspects of human development and disease. Although much is known about the transcription factors involved in the terminal differentiation of peripheral blood lineages, little is known about the development and maintenance of the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC). This review will focus on the current knowledge of the transcriptional regulation of the HSC in the context of the zebrafish. Future studies using new technologies in the zebrafish model will enhance our understanding of the molecular networks regulating HSC pluripotency and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Hsia
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital Boston, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. 02115, USA
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34
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Zeng Z, Liu X, Seebah S, Gong Z. Faithful expression of living color reporter genes in transgenic medaka under two tissue-specific zebrafish promoters. Dev Dyn 2005; 234:387-92. [PMID: 16124005 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.20491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To test tissue specificity of zebrafish gene promoters in a heterologous fish species, two transgenic medaka lines under two zebrafish promoters were generated. Under the zebrafish skeletal muscle-specific mylz2 promoter, transgenic medaka expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP) exclusively in skeletal muscles, mimicking the endogenous medaka mylz2 mRNA expression and also identical to GFP expression in mylz2:gfp transgenic zebrafish. A madaka mylz2 promoter was also capable of directing skeletal muscle-specific GFP expression in transient transgenic zebrafish embryos. In the krt8:rfp transgenic medaka line with the zebrafish epithelial krt8 promoter, red fluorescent protein was specifically expressed in the skin epithelia as well as the epithelial lining cells of the anterior digestive tract, which was also identical to GFP expression in krt8:gfp transgenic zebrafish. Therefore, the two zebrafish promoters faithfully function in a heterologous fish species, and it is likely that the mechanisms of tissue-specific expression are largely conserved among fish species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Zeng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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35
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Cooper MS, Szeto DP, Sommers-Herivel G, Topczewski J, Solnica-Krezel L, Kang HC, Johnson I, Kimelman D. Visualizing morphogenesis in transgenic zebrafish embryos using BODIPY TR methyl ester dye as a vital counterstain for GFP. Dev Dyn 2005; 232:359-68. [PMID: 15614774 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.20252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Green fluorescent protein (GFP) technology is rapidly advancing the study of morphogenesis, by allowing researchers to specifically focus on a subset of labeled cells within the living embryo. However, when imaging GFP-labeled cells using confocal microscopy, it is often essential to simultaneously visualize all of the cells in the embryo using dual-channel fluorescence to provide an embryological context for the cells expressing GFP. Although various counterstains are available, part of their fluorescence overlaps with the GFP emission spectra, making it difficult to clearly identify the cells expressing GFP. In this study, we report that a new fluorophore, BODIPY TR methyl ester dye, serves as a versatile vital counterstain for visualizing the cellular dynamics of morphogenesis within living GFP transgenic zebrafish embryos. The fluorescence of this photostable synthetic dye is spectrally separate from GFP fluorescence, allowing dual-channel, three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) confocal image data sets of living specimens to be easily acquired. These image data sets can be rendered subsequently into uniquely informative 3D and 4D visualizations using computer-assisted visualization software. We discuss a variety of immediate and potential applications of BODIPY TR methyl ester dye as a vital visualization counterstain for GFP in transgenic zebrafish embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S Cooper
- Department of Biology and Center for Developmental Biology, Box 351800, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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36
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Nakaniwa M, Hirayama M, Shimizu A, Sasaki T, Asakawa S, Shimizu N, Watabe S. Genomic sequences encoding two types of medaka hemopexin-like protein Wap65, and their gene expression profiles in embryos. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 208:1915-25. [PMID: 15879072 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.01570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Medaka genomic BAC clones, which contained two types of medaka hemopexin-like protein gene (Wap65), mWap65-1 and mWap65-2, were screened and their genomic sequences were determined by the shotgun strategy. The exon-intron organizations were highly conserved between both mWap65s and human hemopexin genes. The 5'-flanking regions of mWap65-1 and mWap65-2 contained various putative transcription factor binding sites including elements for developmental regulation. The expression patterns of mWap65s during embryonic development were examined by quantitative real-time PCR, demonstrating that both mWap65 transcripts were observed in early embryonic stages, but their expression patterns were different. Interestingly, in situ hybridization revealed that mWap65-2 transcripts were restricted to liver, whereas mWap65-1 transcripts were detected along the edge of pectoral fin buds and the median fin fold of tail buds in embryos at stage 32. Furthermore, we generated transgenic medaka expressing GFP driven by mWap65-1 and mWap65-2 promoters and observed GFP expression patterns during ontogeny. Although localizations of GFP varied among individuals, embryos uniformly expressed GFP 1 day after injection of mWap65-1-hrGFP and mWap65-2-hrGFP constructs, suggesting that mWap65-1 and mWap65-2 promoters were activated in very early stages. The differences between mWap65-1 and mWap65-2 in their expression profiles indicate their distinct roles during ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makiko Nakaniwa
- Laboratory of Aquatic Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
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Yazawa R, Hirono I, Ohira T, Aoki T. Induction of Japanese flounder tnf promoter activity by lipopolysaccharide in zebrafish embryo. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2005; 7:231-5. [PMID: 15864470 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-004-0403-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2004] [Accepted: 08/16/2004] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
A recombinant plasmid containing the 2381-bp promoter region of Japanese flounder tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and green fluorescence protein (GFP) was introduced into zebrafish fertilized eggs by microinjection. GFP was expressed in 2 transgenic zebrafish lines in the heart and around the pharynx under unstressed condition. When embryos were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), GFP was expressed in the whole zebrafish embryonic surface, and Western blot analysis also showed that the level of the expressed GFP protein in zebrafish embryo was higher at an LPS concentration of 140 microg/ml than at LPS concentrations of 0 and 70 microg/ml. Stimulation with either concanavalin A or phorbol myristate acetate induced weak GFP expression, but stimulation with both of them induced strong expression similar to that induced by LPS. GFP expression peaked 1 hour after stimulation, then gradually decreased. These results indicate that transcription regulated by the Japanese flounder TNF promoter could be under the control of the LPS-recognition system in zebrafish embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Yazawa
- Graduate School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Konan 4-5-7, Minato, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan
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38
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Pan X, Wan H, Chia W, Tong Y, Gong Z. Demonstration of site-directed recombination in transgenic zebrafish using the Cre/loxP system. Transgenic Res 2005; 14:217-23. [PMID: 16022392 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-004-5790-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
To test the Cre/loxP recombination system in zebrafish, a stable transgenic zebrafish line was developed by using a floxed (loxP flanked) gfp (green fluorescent protein) gene construct under the muscle-specific mylz2 promoter. Like our previous non-floxed gfp transgenic line under the same promoter, the new transgenic line expresses GFP reporter faithfully in fast skeletal muscles to the same intensity. To demonstrate the excision of floxed gfp transgene, in vitro synthesized Cre RNA was injected into embryos of floxed gfp transgenic zebrafish and we found a dramatic reduction of GFP expression. To confirm the excision, PCR was performed and a DNA fragment of correct size was amplified as predicted from the Cre/loxP mediated excision. Finally, we cloned the fragment and sequence information confirmed that the excision occurred at the precise site as predicted. Our experiments demonstrated that the Cre/loxP system can function efficiently and accurately in the zebrafish system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiufang Pan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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39
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Yoshida M, Macklin WB. Oligodendrocyte development and myelination in GFP-transgenic zebrafish. J Neurosci Res 2005; 81:1-8. [PMID: 15920740 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.20516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic zebrafish technology has been employed to directly visualize and analyze dynamic developmental processes, such as cell migration and morphogenesis. Stable transgenic zebrafish that express GFP in oligodendrocytes can be a valuable tool to visualize complex myelination processes in vivo, as well as to conduct rapid mutagenesis screens for defective myelination mutants. We investigated whether two myelin gene promoters, the zebrafish P0 promoter and the mouse proteolipid protein (PLP) promoter, drive GFP expression in zebrafish oligodendrocytes. Transiently, both promoters drive enhanced GFP (EGFP) expression in morphologically identifiable oligodendrocytes, premyelinating oligodendrocytes, and possible oligodendrocyte precursors. We have established a stable transgenic zebrafish line, tg(plp:EGFP) zebrafish, at the F1 generation, which expresses enhanced GFP (EGFP) driven by the mouse PLP promoter. In this transgenic line, EGFP-expressing cells are visually detectable around 24-hr postfertilization (hpf), and later at 54 hpf, these cells start exhibiting the clear morphologic characteristics of oligodendrocytes. Shortly afterward, EGFP-expressing oligodendrocytes establish a ventral dominant distribution pattern throughout the central nervous system. This transgenic zebrafish line is likely to serve as a useful tool, in which normal myelination as well as abnormal myelination can be recorded under time-lapse confocal microscopy. Furthermore, it has the potential to greatly facilitate mutagenesis screening for novel dysmyelinating mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika Yoshida
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation,Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA
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40
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Abstract
Flow-structure interactions are ubiquitous in nature, and are important factors in the proper development of form and function in living organisms. In order to uncover the mechanisms by which flow-structure interactions affect vertebrate development, we first need to establish the techniques necessary to quantitatively describe the fluid flow environment within the embryo. To do this, we must bring dynamic, in vivo imaging methods to bear on living systems. Traditional avian and mammalian model systems can be problematic in this regard. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is widely accepted as an excellent model organism for the study of vertebrate biology, as it shows substantial anatomical and genetic conservation with higher vertebrates, including humans. Their small size, optical transparency, and external development make zebrafish the ideal model system for dynamic imaging. This article reviews the current state of research in imaging biofluid flow within and around developing zebrafish embryos, with an emphasis on dynamic imaging modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay R Hove
- Department of Genome Science, Genome Research Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45237, USA.
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Chang MH, Huang CJ, Hwang SPL, Lu IC, Lin CM, Kuo TF, Chou CM. Zebrafish heparin-binding neurotrophic factor enhances neurite outgrowth during its development. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2004; 321:502-9. [PMID: 15358204 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.06.172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2004] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Heparin-binding neurotrophic factor (HBNF) is a secreted heparin-binding protein containing highly basic and cysteine-rich amino acid residues. In this study, we cloned the full-length HBNF cDNA from zebrafish and determined its genomic structure by bioinformatics analysis. Zebrafish HBNF gene is composed of five exons and four introns spanning approximately 82kb. RT-PCR analysis revealed that zebrafish HBNF transcript was highly expressed in adult brain and intestine tissues while less in other tissues. During embryogenesis, zebrafish HBNF transcript was observed to be moderately expressed at earlier stages with a gradual decline. Higher expression level was observed after hatching and maintaining this level into adulthood. The overall amino acid sequence of zebrafish HBNF shows 60% identity to human HBNF, but with approximately 40% identity to other midkine proteins. Like mammalian homolog, zebrafish HBNF could induce significant neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells without NGF stimulation. In addition, zebrafish HBNF was able to enhance extensive neurite outgrowth in zebrafish embryos during embryogenesis. In summary, a feasible in vivo assay for neurite outgrowth was established in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Huang Chang
- Graduate Institute of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
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42
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Her GM, Chiang CC, Wu JL. Zebrafish intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) gene promoter drives gut-specific expression in stable transgenic fish. Genesis 2004; 38:26-31. [PMID: 14755801 DOI: 10.1002/gene.10248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) is a small cytosolic protein and is thought to play a crucial role of intracellular fatty acid trafficking and metabolism in gut. To establish an in vivo system for investigating its tissue-specific regulation during zebrafish intestinal development, we isolated 5'-flanking sequences of the zebrafish L-FABP gene and used a transgenic strategy to generate gut-specific transgenic zebrafish with green/red fluorescent intestine. The 4.5-kb 5'-flanking sequence of zebrafish I-FABP gene was sufficient to direct fluorescent expression in intestinal tube, first observed in 3 dpf embryos and then continuously to the adult stage. This pattern of transgenic expression is consistent with the expression pattern of the endogenous gene. In all five transgenic lines 45-52% of the F2 inheritance rates were consistent with the ratio of Mendelian segregation. These fish can also provide a valuable resource of labeled adult intestinal cells for in vivo or in vitro studies. Finally, it is possible to establish an in vivo system using these fish for screening genes required for gut development. genesis 38:26-31, 2004.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guor Mour Her
- Laboratory of Marine Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
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Hsiao CD, Tsai HJ. Transgenic zebrafish with fluorescent germ cell: a useful tool to visualize germ cell proliferation and juvenile hermaphroditism in vivo. Dev Biol 2003; 262:313-23. [PMID: 14550794 DOI: 10.1016/s0012-1606(03)00402-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Juvenile zebrafish are hermaphroditic; undifferentiated gonads first develop into ovary-like tissues, which then either become ovaries and produce oocytes (female) or degenerate and develop into testes (male). In order to fully capture the dynamic processes of germ cells' proliferation and juvenile hermaphroditism in zebrafish, we established transgenic lines TG(beta-actin:EGFP), harboring an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene driven by a medaka beta-actin promoter. In TG(beta-actin:EGFP), proliferating germ cells and female gonads strongly expressed EGFP, but fluorescence was only dimly detected in male gonads. Based on the fluorescent (+) or nonfluorescent (-) appearance of germ cells seen in living animals, three distinct groups were evident among TG(beta-actin:EGFP). Transgenics in ++ group (44%) were females, had fluorescent germ cells as juveniles, and female gonads continuously fluoresced throughout sexual maturation. Transgenics in +- (23%) and -- (33%) groups were males. Fluorescent germ cells were transiently detected in +- transgenics from 14 to 34 days postfertilization (dpf), but were not detected in -- transgenics throughout their life span. Histological analyses showed that 26-dpf-old transgenics in ++, +-, and -- groups all developed ovary-like tissues: Germ cells in -- group juveniles arrested at the gonocyte stage and accumulated low quantities of EGFP, while those in ++ group juveniles highly proliferated into diplotene to perinucleolar stages and accumulated high quantities of EGFP. In +- group juveniles, degenerating oocytes, gonocytes, and spermatogonia were coexistent in transiently fluorescent gonads. Therefore, the fluorescent appearance of gonads in this study was synchronous with the differentiation of ovary-like tissues. Thus, TG(beta-actin:EGFP) can be used to visualize germ cells' proliferation and juvenile hermaphroditism in living zebrafish for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Der Hsiao
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Institute of Fisheries Science, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Road, Section 4, 106, Taipei, Taiwan
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Richards HA, Halfhill MD, Millwood RJ, Stewart CN. Quantitative GFP fluorescence as an indicator of recombinant protein synthesis in transgenic plants. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2003; 22:117-121. [PMID: 12845471 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-003-0638-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2002] [Revised: 03/18/2003] [Accepted: 03/19/2003] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The utility of green fluorescent protein (GFP) for biological research is evident. A fluorescence-based method was developed to quantify GFP levels in transgenic plants and protein extracts. Fluorescence intensity was linear with increasing levels of GFP over a range that encompasses transgene expression in plants by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Standard curves were used to estimate GFP concentration in planta and in protein extracts. These values were consistent with ELISA measurements of GFP in protein extracts from transgenic plants, indicating that the technique is a reliable measure of recombinant GFP expression. The levels of in planta GFP expression in both homozygous and hemizygous plants was then estimated. Homozygous transgenic plants expressed twice the amount of GFP than hemizygous plants, suggesting additive transgene expression. This methodology may be useful to simplify the characterization of transgene expression in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- H A Richards
- Food Safety Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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Ju B, Chong SW, He J, Wang X, Xu Y, Wan H, Tong Y, Yan T, Korzh V, Gong Z. Recapitulation of fast skeletal muscle development in zebrafish by transgenic expression of GFP under the mylz2 promoter. Dev Dyn 2003; 227:14-26. [PMID: 12701095 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.10273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A 1,934-bp muscle-specific promoter from the zebrafish mylz2 gene was isolated and characterized by transgenic analysis. By using a series of 5' promoter deletions linked to the green fluorescent protein (gfp) reporter gene, transient transgenic analysis indicated that the strength of promoter activity appeared to correlate to the number of muscle cis-elements in the promoter and that a minimal -77-bp region was sufficient for a relatively strong promoter activity in muscle cells. Stable transgenic lines were obtained from several mylz2-gfp constructs. GFP expression in the 1,934-bp promoter transgenic lines mimicked well the expression pattern of endogenous mylz2 mRNA in both somitic muscle and nonsomitic muscles, including fin, eye, jaw, and gill muscles. An identical pattern of GFP expression, although at a much lower level, was observed from a transgenic line with a shorter 871-bp promoter. Our observation indicates that there is no distinct cis-element for activation of mylz2 in different skeletal muscles. Furthermore, RNA encoding a dominant negative form of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A was injected into mylz2-gfp transgenic embryos and GFP expression was significantly reduced due to an expanded slow muscle development at the expense of GFP-expressing fast muscle. The mylz2-gfp transgene was also transferred into two zebrafish mutants, spadetail and chordino, and several novel phenotypes in muscle development in these mutants were discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bensheng Ju
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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46
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Her GM, Chiang CC, Chen WY, Wu JL. In vivo studies of liver-type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) gene expression in liver of transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio). FEBS Lett 2003; 538:125-33. [PMID: 12633865 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(03)00157-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) is a small cytosolic protein in various tissues including liver, small intestine and kidney and is thought to play a crucial role in intracellular fatty acid trafficking and metabolism. To better understand its tissue-specific regulation during zebrafish hepatogenesis, we isolated 5'-flanking sequences of the zebrafish L-FABP gene and used a green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic strategy to generate liver-specific transgenic zebrafish. The 2.8-kb 5'-flanking sequence of zebrafish L-FABP gene was sufficient to direct GFP expression in liver primordia, first observed in 2 dpf embryos and then continuously to the adult stage. This pattern of transgenic expression is consistent with the expression pattern of the endogenous gene. F2 inheritance rates of 42-51% in all the seven transgenic lines were consistent with the ratio of Mendelian segregation. Further, hhex and zXbp-1 morphants displayed a visible liver defect, which suggests that it is possible to establish an in vivo system for screening genes required for liver development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guor Mour Her
- Laboratory of Marine Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
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47
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Akimenko MA, Marí-Beffa M, Becerra J, Géraudie J. Old questions, new tools, and some answers to the mystery of fin regeneration. Dev Dyn 2003; 226:190-201. [PMID: 12557198 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.10248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Pluridisciplinary approaches led to the notion that fin regeneration is an intricate phenomenon involving epithelial-mesenchymal and reciprocal exchanges throughout the process as well as interactions between ray and interray tissue. The establishment of a blastema after fin amputation is the first event leading to the reconstruction of the missing part of the fin. Here, we review our knowledge on the origin of the blastema, its formation and growth, and of the mechanisms that control differentiation and patterning of the regenerate. Our current understanding results from studies of fin regeneration performed in various teleost fish over the past century. We also report the recent breakthroughs that have been made in the past decade with the arrival of a new model, the zebrafish, Danio rerio, which now offers the possibility to combine cytologic, molecular, and genetic analyses and open new perspectives in this field.
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