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Gonzalez-Ramos S, Wang J, Cho JM, Zhu E, Park SK, In JG, Reddy ST, Castillo EF, Campen MJ, Hsiai TK. Integrating 4-D light-sheet fluorescence microscopy and genetic zebrafish system to investigate ambient pollutants-mediated toxicity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 902:165947. [PMID: 37543337 PMCID: PMC10659062 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Ambient air pollutants, including PM2.5 (aerodynamic diameter d ~2.5 μm), PM10 (d ~10 μm), and ultrafine particles (UFP: d < 0.1 μm) impart both short- and long-term toxicity to various organs, including cardiopulmonary, central nervous, and gastrointestinal systems. While rodents have been the principal animal model to elucidate air pollution-mediated organ dysfunction, zebrafish (Danio rerio) is genetically tractable for its short husbandry and life cycle to study ambient pollutants. Its electrocardiogram (ECG) resembles that of humans, and the fluorescent reporter-labeled tissues in the zebrafish system allow for screening a host of ambient pollutants that impair cardiovascular development, organ regeneration, and gut-vascular barriers. In parallel, the high spatiotemporal resolution of light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) enables investigators to take advantage of the transparent zebrafish embryos and genetically labeled fluorescent reporters for imaging the dynamic cardiac structure and function at a single-cell resolution. In this context, our review highlights the integrated strengths of the genetic zebrafish system and LSFM for high-resolution and high-throughput investigation of ambient pollutants-mediated cardiac and intestinal toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Gonzalez-Ramos
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering & Applied Science, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering & Applied Science, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jae Min Cho
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Enbo Zhu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Seul-Ki Park
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julie G In
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Srinivasa T Reddy
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Molecular Toxicology Interdepartmental Degree Program, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eliseo F Castillo
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Matthew J Campen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Tzung K Hsiai
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering & Applied Science, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, Department of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.
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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: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [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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3
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The Effects of Copper Constituent of Coin Currency on Embryonic Zebrafish Development. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 2021:2134928. [PMID: 33628775 PMCID: PMC7880709 DOI: 10.1155/2021/2134928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Copper has demonstrated utility in multiple industrial applications for its high conductivity and antibacterial/antiviral properties. However, numerous findings have suggested potential hazards regarding pathogenesis. This study was conducted to demonstrate the application of zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a cost-effective biological assay to detect environmental pollution, i.e., heavy metal of coins. We demonstrated that zebrafish larvae exposed to copper-plated coins or copper (II) ion solution elicited a consistent phenotype of early mortality without signs of morphological defects in surviving individuals. Copper ion solution served as a standard to (1) corroborate copper exposure from coins and (2) demonstrate proportional increase in early mortality phenotype according to concentration. We found that 5 μM CuSO4·5H2O was the minimal concentration to elicit the observed phenotypes from copper toxicity. This study aimed to demonstrate how a simple protocol involving wild-type zebrafish larvae could provide an economical solution to water monitoring in areas of rapid technological advancement and increasing environmental concerns, especially in communities without access to expensive analytical methods.
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Zhou Y, Shen C, Ruan J, He C, Chen M, Wang C, Zuo Z. Generation and application of a Tg(cyp1a:egfp) transgenic marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) line as an in vivo assay to sensitively detect dioxin-like compounds in the environment. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 391:122192. [PMID: 32036309 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Large-range environmental pollution by dioxin and dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) is becoming a serious problem. To establish an in vivo method for the detection of DLCs in seawater, a Tg(cyp1a-12DRE:egfp) transgenic marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) line was first developed with the modified cyp1a-12DRE promoter driving enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expression using Tol2 transgenesis technology. With increasing concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), the EGFP fluorescence intensity increased significantly. The Tg(cyp1a-12DRE:egfp) medaka possessed high sensitivity (limit of detection of 1 ng/L TCDD) and specificity and low background. This transgenic line is capable of detecting DLCs in environmental seawater in which the concentration of DLCs is at least 0.12207 ng/L TCDD after sample enrichment. The fluorescence-toxic equivalency (TEQ) values from EGFP intensity were closely correlated with the chemical-TEQ values obtained from chemical analyses. Furthermore, the Tg(cyp1a-12DRE:egfp) medaka can directly detect DLCs in seawater samples after a serious pollution accident and screen unknown aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists for risk assessment. For the first time, a convenient method has been established that sensitively and specifically responds to DLCs using the Tg(cyp1a-12DRE:egfp) marine medaka, which could be a highly efficient tool for detecting seawater DLCs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Chao Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Jinpeng Ruan
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Chengyong He
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Meng Chen
- Key Laboratory of the Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems (Xiamen University), Ministry of Education, China
| | - Chonggang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Zhenghong Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China.
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De Oliveira J, Chadili E, Piccini B, Turies C, Maillot-Maréchal E, Palluel O, Pardon P, Budzinski H, Cousin X, Brion F, Hinfray N. Refinement of an OECD test guideline for evaluating the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on aromatase gene expression and reproduction using novel transgenic cyp19a1a-eGFP zebrafish. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2020; 220:105403. [PMID: 31927064 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2020.105403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Transgenic fish are powerful models that can provide mechanistic information regarding the endocrine activity of test chemicals. In this study, our objective was to use a newly developed transgenic zebrafish line expressing eGFP under the control of the cyp19a1a promoter in the OECD Fish Short Term Reproduction Assay (TG 229) to provide additional mechanistic information on tested substances. For this purpose, we exposed adult transgenic zebrafish to a reference substance of the TG 229, i.e. prochloraz (PCZ; 1.7, 17.2 and 172.6 μg/L). In addition to "classical" endpoints used in the TG 229 (reproductive outputs, vitellogenin), the fluorescence intensity of the ovaries was monitored at 4 different times of exposure using in vivo imaging. Our data revealed that 172.6 μg/L PCZ significantly decreased the number of eggs laid per female per day and the concentrations of vitellogenin in females, reflecting the decreasing E2 synthesis due to the inhibition of the ovarian aromatase activities. At 7 and 14 days, GFP intensities in ovaries were similar over the treatment groups but significantly increased after 21 days at 17.2 and 172.6 μg/L. A similar profile was observed for the endogenous cyp19a1a expression measured by qPCR thereby confirming the reliability of the GFP measurement for assessing aromatase gene expression. The overexpression of the cyp19a1a gene likely reflects a compensatory response to the inhibitory action of PCZ on aromatase enzymatic activities. Overall, this study illustrates the feasibility of using the cyp19a1a-eGFP transgenic line for assessing the effect of PCZ in an OECD test guideline while providing complementary information on the time- and concentration-dependent effects of the compound, without disturbing reproduction of fish. The acquisition of this additional mechanistic information on a key target gene through in vivo fluorescence imaging of the ovaries was realized without increasing the number of individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie De Oliveira
- INERIS, Unité d'écotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Edith Chadili
- INERIS, Unité d'écotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Benjamin Piccini
- INERIS, Unité d'écotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Cyril Turies
- INERIS, Unité d'écotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | | | - Olivier Palluel
- INERIS, Unité d'écotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Patrick Pardon
- University of Bordeaux, LPTC, UMR EPOC, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Xavier Cousin
- IFREMER, L3AS, UMR MARBEC, Palavas-les-Flots, France; INRA, UMR GABI, AgroParisTech, University Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - François Brion
- INERIS, Unité d'écotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Nathalie Hinfray
- INERIS, Unité d'écotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France.
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Tarasco M, Martins G, Gavaia PJ, Bebianno MJ, Cancela ML, Laizé V. ZEB316: A Small Stand-Alone Housing System to Study Microplastics in Small Teleosts. Zebrafish 2020; 17:18-26. [PMID: 31994994 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2019.1801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many anthropogenic chemicals and plastic debris end up in the aquatic ecosystem worldwide, representing a major concern for the environment and human health. Small teleosts, such as zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), offer significant advantages over classical animal models and are currently used as first-line organisms to assess environmental risks associated with many aquatic toxicants. Toxicological studies require the use of inert materials and controlled conditions. Yet, none of the available commercialized systems is adequate to assess the toxic effect of microplastics, because they contain components made of plastic polymers that may release micrometric plastic particles, leach manufacturing compounds, or adsorb chemicals. The ZEB316 stand-alone housing system presented in this study is meant to be a cost-effective and easy-to-built solution to perform state-of-the-art toxicological studies. It is built with inert and corrosion-resistant materials and provides good housing conditions through efficient recirculation and filtration systems. Assessment of water parameters and fish growth performance showed that the ZEB316 provides housing conditions comparable to those available from commercial housing systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Tarasco
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Gil Martins
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Paulo J Gavaia
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.,Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine (DCBM), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Maria J Bebianno
- Centre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - M Leonor Cancela
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.,Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine (DCBM), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.,Algarve Biomedical Centre (ABC) and Centre for Biomedical Research (CBMR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Vincent Laizé
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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Das S, Patel B. Marine resources and animals in modern biotechnology. Anim Biotechnol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-811710-1.00027-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Ji C, Shen C, Zhou Y, Zhu K, Sun Z, Zuo Z, Zhao M. AhR Agonist Activity Confirmation of Polyhalogenated Carbazoles (PHCZs) Using an Integration of in Vitro, in Vivo, and in Silico Models. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:14716-14723. [PMID: 31738530 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Polyhalogenated carbazoles (PHCZs) are a kind of rising environmental pollutant that has been reported to pose high risk to human beings and the natural environment. PHCZs are of a similar molecular structure with of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and exhibited some dioxin-like toxicity. Dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) are banned by the Stockholm Convention due to their potential adverse impacts to the environment and public health. However, a few efforts have been made toward the regulation of PHCZs. Herein, we initiated multimodels to systematically determine and validate the dioxin-like effects of PHCZs on a large scale. Transgenic zebrafish line-Tg(cyp1a-12DRE:EGFP) and stably transfected HepG2 cell line with luciferase reporter plasmids were used to screen and evaluate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist effects of the target PHCZs, which were then verified by application of molecular docking and expression levels of AhR downstream genes. Results of the two bioassays showed that most of the tested PHCZs could pose dioxin-like AhR agonist effects, change the expression levels of AhR downstream genes, and interact with AhR in accordance with TCDD. In summary, data presented here can help to guide the safe use and regulation of PHCZs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Ji
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment , Zhejiang University of Technology , Hangzhou , Zhejiang 310014 , China
| | - Chao Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences , Xiamen University , Xiamen , Fujian 361005 , China
| | - Yixi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences , Xiamen University , Xiamen , Fujian 361005 , China
| | - Kongyang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences , Xiamen University , Xiamen , Fujian 361005 , China
| | - Zhe Sun
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care , University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB1 8RN , U.K
| | - Zhenghong Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences , Xiamen University , Xiamen , Fujian 361005 , China
| | - Meirong Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment , Zhejiang University of Technology , Hangzhou , Zhejiang 310014 , China
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Awasthi Y, Ratn A, Prasad R, Kumar M, Trivedi SP. An in vivo analysis of Cr 6+ induced biochemical, genotoxicological and transcriptional profiling of genes related to oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptosis in liver of fish, Channa punctatus (Bloch, 1793). AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2018; 200:158-167. [PMID: 29753883 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Present study was designed to assess the hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) mediated oxidative stress that induces DNA damage and apoptosis in adult fish, Channa punctatus (35 ± 3.0 g; 14.5 ± 1.0 cm; Actinopterygii). Fishes were maintained in three groups for 15, 30 and 45 d of exposure periods. They were treated with 5% (Group T1) and 10% (Group T2) of 96 h-LC50 of chromium trioxide (Cr6+). Controls were run for the similar duration. A significant (p < 0.05) increment in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, SOD and CAT in liver tissues of the exposed fish evinces the persistence of oxidative stress. A significant (p < 0.05) increase in induction of micronuclei (MN) coupled with transcriptional responses of target genes related to antioxidant enzymes, DNA damage and apoptosis (sod, cat, gsr, nox-1, p53, bax, bcl-2, apaf-1 and casp3a) establishes the impact of oxidative stress due to in vivo, Cr6+ accumulation in liver as compared to control (0 mg/L), in a dose and exposure-dependent manner. Initially, the increased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in liver coincided with that of enhanced mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes, sod, cat, gsr and nox-1 but, later, the overproduction of ROS, after 45 d of exposure of Cr6+, resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) up-regulation of p53. Our findings also unveil that the up-regulation of bax, apaf-1 and casp3a and down-regulation of bcl-2 are associated with Cr6+-induced oxidative stress mediated-apoptosis in liver of test fish. Aforesaid molecular markers can, thus, be efficiently utilized for bio-monitoring of aquatic regimes and conservation of fish biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yashika Awasthi
- Environmental Toxicology & Bioremediation Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
| | - Arun Ratn
- Environmental Toxicology & Bioremediation Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
| | - Rajesh Prasad
- Environmental Toxicology & Bioremediation Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Environmental Toxicology & Bioremediation Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
| | - Sunil P Trivedi
- Environmental Toxicology & Bioremediation Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India.
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Luo JJ, Su DS, Xie SL, Liu Y, Liu P, Yang XJ, Pei DS. Hypersensitive assessment of aryl hydrocarbon receptor transcriptional activity using a novel truncated cyp1a promoter in zebrafish. FASEB J 2018; 32:2814-2826. [PMID: 29298861 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201701171r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a persistent organic pollutant (POP), an unintentional byproduct of various industrial processes, and a human carcinogen. The expression of the cytochrome P450 1A (cyp1a) gene is upregulated in the presence of TCDD through activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway in a dose-dependent manner. Several essential response elements, including the 8 potential xenobiotic response elements in the cyp1a promoter region, have been identified to be the main functional parts for the response to TCDD. Thus, we aimed to develop a convenient and sensitive biomonitoring tool to examine the level of POPs in the environment and evaluate its potential human health risks by TCDD. Here, we established a transgenic zebrafish model with a red fluorescent reporter gene ( mCherry) using the truncated cyp1a promoter. Under exposure to TCDD, the expression pattern of mCherry in the reporter zebrafish mirrored that of endogenous cyp1a mRNA, and the primary target tissues for TCDD were the brain vessels, liver, gut, cloaca, and skin. Our results indicated that exposure of the embryos to TCDD at concentrations as low as 0.005 nM for 48 h, which did not elicit morphologic abnormalities in the embryos, markedly increased mCherry expression. In addition, the reporter embryos responded to other POPs, and primary liver cell culture of zebrafish revealed that Cyp1a protein was mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of liver cells. Furthermore, our transgenic fish embryos demonstrated that TCDD exposure can regulate the expression levels of several tumor-related factors, including epidermal growth factor, TNF-α, C-myc, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, TGF-β, serine/threonine kinase (Akt), and phosphorylated Akt, suggesting that our transgenic fish can be used as a sensitive model to evaluate the carcinogenicity induced by TCDD exposure.-Luo, J.-J., Su, D.-S., Xie, S.-L., Liu, Y., Liu, P., Yang, X.-J., Pei D.-S. Hypersensitive assessment of aryl hydrocarbon receptor transcriptional activity using a novel truncated cyp1a promoter in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan-Juan Luo
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Su
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China
| | - Shao-Lin Xie
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China
| | - Pei Liu
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Xiao-Jun Yang
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - De-Sheng Pei
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China
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11
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Roy NM, Zambrzycka E, Santangelo J. Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) induces caudal defects during embryonic development. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2017; 56:129-135. [PMID: 28934690 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2017.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) is commonly added during the manufacturing of plastics to increase flexibility and elasticity. However, BBP leaches off of plastic and environment presence has been detected in soil, groundwater and sediment potentially effecting organisms in the environment. Given the widespread uses of BBP in household, consumer goods and the presence of BBP in the environment, studies on developmental toxicity are needed. Here, we use a zebrafish model to investigate the early developmental toxicity of BBP. We treated gastrula staged embryos with increasing concentrations of BBP and noted concentration-dependent defects in caudal tail development, but the effect was caudal specific with no other developmental defects noted. In situ hybridization studies using muscle and notochord markers show alterations in muscle development and non-linear, kinked notochord staining. A more detailed antibody staining using a myosin specific marker shows disorganized myofibrils and a loss of chevron shaped somites. Furthermore, vascular development in the tail was also disrupted in a concentration dependent manner. We conclude that BBP is toxic to caudal development in zebrafish. The sensitivity of zebrafish during development to environmental toxins and chemicals has been useful in assessing the health of the aquatic environment. The results presented here are a useful early warning system for contamination that could affect human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Roy
- Department of Biology, Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Ave, Fairfield, CT, 06825, United States.
| | - Ewelina Zambrzycka
- Department of Biology, Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Ave, Fairfield, CT, 06825, United States
| | - Jenna Santangelo
- Department of Biology, Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Ave, Fairfield, CT, 06825, United States
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12
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Li J, Niu A, Lu CJ, Zhang JH, Junaid M, Strauss PR, Xiao P, Wang X, Ren YW, Pei DS. A novel forward osmosis system in landfill leachate treatment for removing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and for direct fertigation. CHEMOSPHERE 2017; 168:112-121. [PMID: 27776229 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.10.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Revised: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Landfill leachate (LL) is harmful to aquatic environment because it contains high concentrations of dissolved organic matter, inorganic components, heavy metals, and other xenobiotics. Thus, the remediation of LL is crucial for environmental conservation. Here, a potential application of the forward osmosis (FO) filtration process with ammonium bicarbonate (NH4HCO3) as a draw solution (DS) was investigated to remediate membrane bioreactor-treated LL (M-LL). After the leachate treatment, the toxicity and removal efficiencies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were evaluated using zebrafish and cultured human cells. The water recovery rate was improved using the current protocol up to 86.6% and 91.6% by both the pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) mode and the forward osmosis (FO) mode. Water flux increased with the increasing DS concentrations, but solution velocities decreased with the operation time. Toxicity tests revealed that the M-LL treated by NH4HCO3 had no toxic effect on zebrafish and human cells. Moreover, green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in the transgenic zebrafish Tg(cyp1a:gfp) induced by PAHs was very weak compared to the effects induced by untreated M-LL. Since the diluted DS met local safety requirements of liquid fertilizer, it could be directly applied as the liquid fertilizer for fertigation. In conclusion, this novel FO system using NH4HCO3 as the DS provides a cheap and efficient protocol to effectively remove PAHs and other pollutants in LL, and the diluted DS can be directly applied to crops as a liquid fertilizer, indicating that this technique is effective and eco-friendly for the treatment of different types of LL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Aping Niu
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Chun-Jiao Lu
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Jing-Hui Zhang
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Muhammad Junaid
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Phyllis R Strauss
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ping Xiao
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Yi-Wei Ren
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China; Chongqing Industrial Technology Innovation Institute of Environmental Protection Membrane Materials and Equipment Technology, Chongqing 400714, China.
| | - De-Sheng Pei
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China.
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13
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Abstract
As manufacturing processes and development of new synthetic compounds increase to keep pace with the expanding global demand, environmental health, and the effects of toxicant exposure are emerging as critical public health concerns. Additionally, chemicals that naturally occur in the environment, such as metals, have profound effects on human and animal health. Many of these compounds are in the news: lead, arsenic, and endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A have all been widely publicized as causing disease or damage to humans and wildlife in recent years. Despite the widespread appreciation that environmental toxins can be harmful, there is limited understanding of how many toxins cause disease. Zebrafish are at the forefront of toxicology research; this system has been widely used as a tool to detect toxins in water samples and to investigate the mechanisms of action of environmental toxins and their related diseases. The benefits of zebrafish for studying vertebrate development are equally useful for studying teratogens. Here, we review how zebrafish are being used both to detect the presence of some toxins as well as to identify how environmental exposures affect human health and disease. We focus on areas where zebrafish have been most effectively used in ecotoxicology and in environmental health, including investigation of exposures to endocrine disruptors, industrial waste byproducts, and arsenic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Bambino
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
| | - Jaime Chu
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States.
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14
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Dubińska-Magiera M, Daczewska M, Lewicka A, Migocka-Patrzałek M, Niedbalska-Tarnowska J, Jagla K. Zebrafish: A Model for the Study of Toxicants Affecting Muscle Development and Function. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:E1941. [PMID: 27869769 PMCID: PMC5133936 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17111941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid progress in medicine, agriculture, and allied sciences has enabled the development of a large amount of potentially useful bioactive compounds, such as drugs and pesticides. However, there is another side of this phenomenon, which includes side effects and environmental pollution. To avoid or minimize the uncontrollable consequences of using the newly developed compounds, researchers seek a quick and effective means of their evaluation. In achieving this goal, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has proven to be a highly useful tool, mostly because of its fast growth and development, as well as the ability to absorb the molecules diluted in water through its skin and gills. In this review, we focus on the reports concerning the application of zebrafish as a model for assessing the impact of toxicants on skeletal muscles, which share many structural and functional similarities among vertebrates, including zebrafish and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Dubińska-Magiera
- Department of Animal Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Biology, University of Wroclaw, 21 Sienkiewicza Street, 50-335 Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Małgorzata Daczewska
- Department of Animal Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Biology, University of Wroclaw, 21 Sienkiewicza Street, 50-335 Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Anna Lewicka
- Department of Animal Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Biology, University of Wroclaw, 21 Sienkiewicza Street, 50-335 Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Marta Migocka-Patrzałek
- Department of Animal Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Biology, University of Wroclaw, 21 Sienkiewicza Street, 50-335 Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Joanna Niedbalska-Tarnowska
- Department of Animal Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Biology, University of Wroclaw, 21 Sienkiewicza Street, 50-335 Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Jagla
- GReD-Genetics, Reproduction and Development Laboratory, INSERM U1103, CNRS UMR6293, University of Clermont-Auvergne, 28 Place Henri-Dunant, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
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15
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Pawar N, Gireesh-Babu P, Sabnis S, Rasal K, Murthy R, Zaidi SGS, Sivasubbu S, Chaudhari A. Development of a fluorescent transgenic zebrafish biosensor for sensing aquatic heavy metal pollution. Transgenic Res 2016; 25:617-27. [DOI: 10.1007/s11248-016-9959-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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16
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Komoike Y, Matsuoka M. [Application of Zebrafish Model to Environmental Toxicology]. Nihon Eiseigaku Zasshi 2016; 71:227-235. [PMID: 27725426 DOI: 10.1265/jjh.71.227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Recently, a tropical freshwater fish, the zebrafish, has been generally used as a useful model organism in various fields of life science worldwide. The zebrafish model has also been applied to environmental toxicology; however, in Japan, it has not yet become widely used. In this review, we will introduce the biological and historical backgrounds of zebrafish as an animal model and their breeding. We then present the current status of toxicological experiments using zebrafish that were treated with some important environmental contaminants, including cadmium, organic mercury, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, and tributyltin. Finally, the future possible application of genetically modified zebrafish to the study of environmental toxicology is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Komoike
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health I, Tokyo Women's Medical University
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17
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Yu K, Li G, Feng W, Liu L, Zhang J, Wu W, Xu L, Yan Y. Chlorpyrifos is estrogenic and alters embryonic hatching, cell proliferation and apoptosis in zebrafish. Chem Biol Interact 2015; 239:26-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2015.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Revised: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
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18
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Ng GHB, Xu H, Pi N, Kelly BC, Gong Z. Differential GFP expression patterns induced by different heavy metals in Tg(hsp70:gfp) transgenic medaka (Oryzias latipes). MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2015; 17:317-327. [PMID: 25652692 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-015-9620-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is one of the most widely used biomarker for monitoring environment perturbations in biological systems. To facilitate the analysis of hsp70 expression as a biomarker, we generated a Tg(hsp70:gfp) transgenic medaka line in which green fluorescence protein (GFP) reporter gene was driven by the medaka hsp70 promoter. Here, we characterized Tg(hsp70:gfp) medaka for inducible GFP expression by seven environment-relevant heavy metals, including mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, chromium, and zinc. We found that four of them (mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium) induced GFP expression in multiple and different organs. In general, the liver, kidney, gut, and skin are among the most frequent organs to show induced GFP expression. In contrast, no detectable GFP induction was observed to copper, chromium, or zinc, indicating that the transgenic line was not responsive to all heavy metals. RT-qPCR determination of hsp70 mRNA showed similar induction and non-induction by these metals, which also correlated with the levels of metal uptake in medaka exposed to these metals. Our observations suggested that these heavy metals have different mechanisms of toxicity and/or differential bioaccumulation in various organs; different patterns of GFP expression induced by different metals may be used to determine or exclude metals in water samples tested. Furthermore, we also tested several non-metal toxicants such as bisphenol A, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, 4-introphenol, and lindane; none of them induced significant GFP expression in Tg(hsp70:gfp) medaka, further suggesting that the inducibility of Tg(hsp70:gfp) for GFP expression is specific to a subset of heavy metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Hwee Boon Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, S3-Level 6, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
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19
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Zhu F, Skommer J, Huang Y, Akagi J, Adams D, Levin M, Hall CJ, Crosier PS, Wlodkowic D. Fishing on chips: up-and-coming technological advances in analysis of zebrafish and Xenopus embryos. Cytometry A 2014; 85:921-32. [PMID: 25287981 PMCID: PMC10472801 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.22571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Revised: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Biotests performed on small vertebrate model organisms provide significant investigative advantages as compared with bioassays that employ cell lines, isolated primary cells, or tissue samples. The main advantage offered by whole-organism approaches is that the effects under study occur in the context of intact physiological milieu, with all its intercellular and multisystem interactions. The gap between the high-throughput cell-based in vitro assays and low-throughput, disproportionally expensive and ethically controversial mammal in vivo tests can be closed by small model organisms such as zebrafish or Xenopus. The optical transparency of their tissues, the ease of genetic manipulation and straightforward husbandry, explain the growing popularity of these model organisms. Nevertheless, despite the potential for miniaturization, automation and subsequent increase in throughput of experimental setups, the manipulation, dispensing and analysis of living fish and frog embryos remain labor-intensive. Recently, a new generation of miniaturized chip-based devices have been developed for zebrafish and Xenopus embryo on-chip culture and experimentation. In this work, we review the critical developments in the field of Lab-on-a-Chip devices designed to alleviate the limits of traditional platforms for studies on zebrafish and clawed frog embryo and larvae. © 2014 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhu
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Joanna Skommer
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Yushi Huang
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jin Akagi
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Dany Adams
- Department of Biology and Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts
| | - Michael Levin
- Department of Biology and Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts
| | - Chris J. Hall
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Philip S. Crosier
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Donald Wlodkowic
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
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20
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Kim S, Sundaramoorthi H, Jagadeeswaran P. Dioxin-induced thrombocyte aggregation in zebrafish. Blood Cells Mol Dis 2014; 54:116-22. [PMID: 25129381 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2014.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/18/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a canonical member of a group of dioxins which are byproducts of industrial combustion and are dangerous environmental pollutants. TCDD has been shown to cause several abnormalities in humans and wildlife, and recently, some dioxins have been found to activate platelets. However, TCDD-mediated platelet activation pathways are elusive and virtually nothing is known about TCDD activation of fish thrombocytes. To investigate TCDD effect on thrombocyte function, we tested zebrafish blood in presence of TCDD using a thrombocyte functional assay. We found that TCDD activated thrombocytes. Further experiments showed that thrombocytes of fish treated with TCDD formed both aggregates and filopodia. To investigate the mechanism of TCDD-mediated activation of thrombocytes we used inhibitors for Gq, cyclooxygenase-1, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), c-src, Akt, and ERK1/2. We found that TCDD induces AHR which activates c-src and signals the activation of Akt and ERK1/2 which are ultimately involved in generation of thromboxane A2. Furthermore, we found that ADP potentiates TCDD action, which led to the discovery that ADP itself activates AHR in the absence of TCDD. Taken together, these results resolved the pathway of TCDD activation of thrombocytes and led to the finding that ADP is an activator of AHR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongcheol Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1510 Chestnut, Denton TX 76203, USA
| | - Hemalatha Sundaramoorthi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1510 Chestnut, Denton TX 76203, USA
| | - Pudur Jagadeeswaran
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1510 Chestnut, Denton TX 76203, USA.
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21
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Delov V, Muth-Köhne E, Schäfers C, Fenske M. Transgenic fluorescent zebrafish Tg(fli1:EGFP)y¹ for the identification of vasotoxicity within the zFET. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2014; 150:189-200. [PMID: 24685623 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2014.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2013] [Revised: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/09/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The fish embryo toxicity test (FET) is currently one of the most advocated animal alternative tests in ecotoxicology. To date, the application of the FET with zebrafish (zFET) has focused on acute toxicity assessment, where only lethal morphological effects are accounted for. An application of the zFET beyond acute toxicity, however, necessitates the establishment of more refined and quantifiable toxicological endpoints. A valuable tool in this context is the use of gene expression-dependent fluorescent markers that can even be measured in vivo. We investigated the application of embryos of Tg(fli1:EGFP)(y1) for the identification of vasotoxic substances within the zFET. Tg(fli1:EGFP)(y1) fish express enhanced GFP in the entire vasculature under the control of the fli1 promoter, and thus enable the visualization of vascular defects in live zebrafish embryos. We assessed the fli1 driven EGFP-expression in the intersegmental blood vessels (ISVs) qualitatively and quantitatively, and found an exposure concentration related increase in vascular damage for chemicals like triclosan, cartap and genistein. The fluorescence endpoint ISV-length allowed an earlier and more sensitive detection of vasotoxins than the bright field assessment method. In combination with the standard bright field morphological effect assessment, an increase in significance and value of the zFET for a mechanism-specific toxicity evaluation was achieved. This study highlights the benefits of using transgenic zebrafish as convenient tools for identifying toxicity in vivo and to increase sensitivity and specificity of the zFET.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Delov
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Forckenbeckstr. 6, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Institute for Molecular Biotechnology (Biology VII), RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
| | - Elke Muth-Köhne
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Christoph Schäfers
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Martina Fenske
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Forckenbeckstr. 6, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany.
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22
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Wang Y, Huang H, Wu Q. Characterization of the zebrafish Ugt repertoire reveals a new class of drug-metabolizing UDP glucuronosyltransferases. Mol Pharmacol 2014; 86:62-75. [PMID: 24728488 DOI: 10.1124/mol.113.091462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish genome contains a gene superfamily of 40 Ugt genes that can be divided into Ugt1, Ugt2, and Ugt5 families. Because the encoded zebrafish UDP glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) proteins do not display orthologous relationships to any of the mammalian and avian UGT enzymes based on molecular phylogeny, it is difficult to predict their substrate specificity. Here, we mapped their tissue-specific expression patterns. We showed that the zebrafish UGT enzymes can be glycosylated. We determined their substrate specificity and catalytic activity toward diverse aglycone substrates. Specifically, we measured mRNA levels of each of the 40 zebrafish Ugt genes in 11 adult tissues and found that they are expressed in a tissue-specific manner. Moreover, functional analyses with the donor of UDP glucuronic acid (UDPGA) for each of the 40 zebrafish UGT proteins revealed their substrate specificity toward 10 important aglycones. In particular, UGT1A1, UGT1A7, and UGT1B1 displayed good glucuronidation activities toward most phenolic aglycones (4-methylumbelliferone, 4-nitrophenol, 1-naphthol, bisphenol A, and mycophenolic acid) and the two carboxylic acids (bilirubin and diclofenac). Importantly, some members of the UGT5, a novel UGT family identified recently, are capable of glucuronidating multiple aglycones with the donor cofactor of UDPGA. In particular, UGT5A5, UGT5B2, and UGT5E1 glucuronidate phenols and steroids with high specificity toward steroid hormones of estradiol and testosterone and estrogenic alkylphenols 4-tert-octylphenol. These results shed new insights into the mechanisms by which fish species defend themselves against vast numbers of xenobiotics via glucuronidation conjugations and may facilitate the establishment of zebrafish as a model vertebrate in toxicological, developmental, and pathologic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanming Wang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Center for Comparative Biomedicine, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, and State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, and Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Center, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haiyan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Center for Comparative Biomedicine, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, and State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, and Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Center, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Center for Comparative Biomedicine, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, and State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, and Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Center, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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23
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Hussainzada N, Lewis JA, Baer CE, Ippolito DL, Jackson DA, Stallings JD. Whole adult organism transcriptional profiling of acute metal exposures in male zebrafish. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 2014; 15:15. [PMID: 24612858 PMCID: PMC4007779 DOI: 10.1186/2050-6511-15-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2013] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A convergence of technological breakthroughs in the past decade has facilitated the development of rapid screening tools for biomarkers of toxicant exposure and effect. Platforms using the whole adult organism to evaluate the genome-wide response to toxicants are especially attractive. Recent work demonstrates the feasibility of this approach in vertebrates using the experimentally robust zebrafish model. In the present study, we evaluated gene expression changes in whole adult male zebrafish following an acute 24 hr high dose exposure to three metals with known human health risks. Male adult zebrafish were exposed to nickel chloride, cobalt chloride or sodium dichromate concentrations corresponding to their respective 96 hr LC20, LC40 and LC60. Histopathology was performed on a subset of metal-exposed zebrafish to phenotypically anchor transcriptional changes associated with each metal. Results Comparative analysis identified subsets of differentially expressed transcripts both overlapping and unique to each metal. Application of gene ontology (GO) and transcription factor (TF) enrichment algorithms revealed a number of key biological processes perturbed by metal poisonings and the master transcriptional regulators mediating gene expression changes. Metal poisoning differentially activated biological processes associated with ribosome biogenesis, proteosomal degradation, and p53 signaling cascades, while repressing oxygen-generating pathways associated with amino acid and lipid metabolism. Despite appreciable effects on gene regulation, nickel poisoning did not induce any morphological alterations in male zebrafish organs and tissues. Histopathological effects of cobalt remained confined to the olfactory system, while chromium targeted the gills, pharynx, and intestinal mucosa. A number of enriched transcription factors mediated the observed gene response to metal poisoning, including known targets such as p53, HIF1α, and the myc oncogene, and novel regulatory factors such as XBP1, GATA6 and HNF3β. Conclusions This work uses an experimentally innovative approach to capture global responses to metal poisoning and provides mechanistic insights into metal toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jonathan D Stallings
- Biomarkers Program, US Army Center for Environmental Health Research, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland 21702-5010, USA.
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24
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Zhang NS, Li HY, Liu JS, Yang WD. Gene expression profiles in zebrafish (Danio rerio) liver after acute exposure to okadaic acid. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2014; 37:791-802. [PMID: 24637248 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2014.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Revised: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Okadaic acid (OA), a main component of diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins, is a strong and specific inhibitor of the serine/threonine protein phosphatases PP1 and PP2A. However, not all of the OA-induced effects can be explained by this phosphatase inhibition, and controversial results on OA are increasing. To provide clues on potential mechanisms of OA other than phosphatase inhibition, here, acute toxicity of OA was evaluated in zebrafish, and changes in gene expression in zebrafish liver tissues upon exposure to OA were observed by microarray. The i.p. ED50 (6 h) of OA on zebrafish was 1.54 μg OA/g body weight (bw). Among the genes analyzed on the zebrafish array, 55 genes were significantly up-regulated and 36 down-regulated in the fish liver tissue upon exposure to 0.176 μg OA/g bw (low-dose group, LD) compared with the low ethanol control (LE). However, there were no obvious functional clusters for them. On the contrary, fish exposure to 1.760 μg OA/g bw (high-dose group, HD) yielded a great number of differential expressed genes (700 up and 285 down) compared with high ethanol control (HE), which clustered in several functional terms such as p53 signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, glutathione metabolism and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, etc. These genes were involved in protein phosphatase activity, translation factor activity, heat shock protein binding, as well as transmembrane transporter activity. Our findings may give some useful information on the pathways of OA-induced injury in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nai-sheng Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, PR China; Wageningen University and Research Centre, Centre for Water and Climate, Alterra, PO Box 47, 6700AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hong-ye Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, PR China; Key Laboratory of Eutrophication and Red Tide Prevention of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China
| | - Jie-sheng Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, PR China; Key Laboratory of Eutrophication and Red Tide Prevention of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China
| | - Wei-dong Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, PR China; Key Laboratory of Eutrophication and Red Tide Prevention of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China.
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25
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Dai YJ, Jia YF, Chen N, Bian WP, Li QK, Ma YB, Chen YL, Pei DS. Zebrafish as a model system to study toxicology. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2014; 33:11-7. [PMID: 24307630 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 352] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2013] [Revised: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring and assessing the effects of contaminants in the aquatic eco-environment is critical in protecting human health and the environment. The zebrafish has been widely used as a prominent model organism in different fields because of its small size, low cost, diverse adaptability, short breeding cycle, high fecundity, and transparent embryos. Recent studies have demonstrated that zebrafish sensitivity can aid in monitoring environmental contaminants, especially with the application of transgenic technology in this area. The present review provides a brief overview of recent studies on wild-type and transgenic zebrafish as a model system to monitor toxic heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, and organic pollutants for toxicology. The authors address the new direction of developing high-throughput detection of genetically modified transparent zebrafish to open a new window for monitoring environmental pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Jie Dai
- Key Laboratory of Reservoir Aquatic Environment, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China
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Ho PWL, Tse ZHM, Liu HF, Lu S, Ho JWM, Kung MHW, Ramsden DB, Ho SL. Assessment of cellular estrogenic activity based on estrogen receptor-mediated reduction of soluble-form catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) expression in an ELISA-based system. PLoS One 2013; 8:e74065. [PMID: 24040167 PMCID: PMC3765251 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Xenoestrogens are either natural or synthetic compounds that mimic the effects of endogenous estrogen. These compounds, such as bisphenol-A (BPA), and phthalates, are commonly found in plastic wares. Exposure to these compounds poses major risk to human health because of the potential to cause endocrine disruption. There is huge demand for a wide range of chemicals to be assessed for such potential for the sake of public health. Classical in vivo assays for endocrine disruption are comprehensive but time-consuming and require sacrifice of experimental animals. Simple preliminary in vitro screening assays can reduce the time and expense involved. We previously demonstrated that catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is transcriptionally regulated by estrogen via estrogen receptor (ER). Therefore, detecting corresponding changes of COMT expression in estrogen-responsive cells may be a useful method to estimate estrogenic effects of various compounds. We developed a novel cell-based ELISA to evaluate cellular response to estrogenicity by reduction of soluble-COMT expression in ER-positive MCF-7 cells exposed to estrogenic compounds. In contrast to various existing methods that only detect bioactivity, this method elucidates direct physiological effect in a living cell in response to a compound. We validated our assay using three well-characterized estrogenic plasticizers - BPA, benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP). Cells were exposed to either these plasticizers or 17β-estradiol (E2) in estrogen-depleted medium with or without an ER-antagonist, ICI 182,780, and COMT expression assayed. Exposure to each of these plasticizers (10-9-10-7M) dose-dependently reduced COMT expression (p<0.05), which was blocked by ICI 182,780. Reduction of COMT expression was readily detectable in cells exposed to picomolar level of E2, comparable to other in vitro assays of similar sensitivity. To satisfy the demand for in vitro assays targeting different cellular components, a cell-based COMT assay provides useful initial screening to supplement the current assessments of xenoestrogens for potential estrogenic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Wing-Lok Ho
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zero Ho-Man Tse
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hui-Fang Liu
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Song Lu
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jessica Wing-Man Ho
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Michelle Hiu-Wai Kung
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - David Boyer Ramsden
- School of Medicine and School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Shu-Leong Ho
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- * E-mail:
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Basu S, Sachidanandan C. Zebrafish: a multifaceted tool for chemical biologists. Chem Rev 2013; 113:7952-80. [PMID: 23819893 DOI: 10.1021/cr4000013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Basu
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) , South Campus, New Delhi 110025, India
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Kim KH, Park HJ, Kim JH, Kim S, Williams DR, Kim MK, Jung YD, Teraoka H, Park HC, Choy HE, Shin BA, Choi SY. Cyp1a reporter zebrafish reveals target tissues for dioxin. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2013; 134-135:57-65. [PMID: 23587668 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2013.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Revised: 02/25/2013] [Accepted: 03/04/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the unintentional byproduct of various industrial processes, is classified as human carcinogen and could disrupt reproductive, developmental and endocrine systems. Induction of cyp1a1 is used as an indicator of TCDD exposure. We sought to determine tissues that are vulnerable to TCDD toxicity using a transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio) model. We inserted a nuclear enhanced green fluorescent protein gene (EGFP) into the start codon of a zebrafish cyp1a gene in a fosmid clone using DNA recombineering. The resulting recombineered fosmid was then used to generate cyp1a reporter zebrafish, embryos of which were exposed to TCDD. Expression pattern of EGFP in the reporter zebrafish mirrored that of endogenous cyp1a mRNA. In addition, exposure of the embryos to TCDD at as low as 10 pM for 72 h, which does not elicit morphological abnormalities of embryos, markedly increased GFP expression. Furthermore, the reporter embryos responded to other AhR ligands as well. Exposure of the embryos to TCDD revealed previously reported (the cardiovascular system, liver, pancreas, kidney, swim bladder and skin) and unreported target tissues (retinal bipolar cells, otic vesicle, lateral line, cloaca and pectoral fin bud) for TCDD. Transgenic cyp1a reporter zebrafish we have developed can further understanding of ecotoxicological relevance and human health risks by TCDD. In addition, they could be used to identify agonists of AhR and antidotes to TCDD toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun-Hee Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
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Ng GHB, Gong Z. GFP transgenic medaka (Oryzias latipes) under the inducible cyp1a promoter provide a sensitive and convenient biological indicator for the presence of TCDD and other persistent organic chemicals. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64334. [PMID: 23700472 PMCID: PMC3659123 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 04/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are resistant to environmental degradation and can cause multitude of health problems. Cytochrome P450 1A (Cyp1a) is often up-regulated by POPs through the activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway and is thus usually used as a biomarker for xenobiotics exposure. To develop a convenient in vivo tool to monitor xenobiotic contamination in the water, we have established GFP transgenic medaka using the inducible cyp1a promoter, Tg(cyp1a:gfp). Here we tested Tg(cyp1a:gfp) medaka at three different stages, prehatching embryos, newly hatched fry and adult with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodiebnzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a dioxin. While GFP induction was observed in all three stages, newly hatched fry were the most sensitive with the lowest observed effective concentration of 0.005 nM or 16.1 ng/L. The highly sensitive organs included the kidney, liver and intestine. With high concentrations of TCDD, several other organs such as the olfactory pit, tail fin, gills, lateral line neuromast cells and blood vessels also showed GFP expression. In addition, Tg(cyp1a:gfp) medaka fry also responded to two other AhR agonists, 3-methylcholanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene, for GFP induction, but no significant GFP induction was observed towards several other chemicals tested, indicating the specificity of this transgenic line. The GFP inducibility of Tg(cyp1a:gfp) medaka at both fry and adult stages may be useful for development of high-throughput assays as well as online water monitoring system to detect xenobiotic toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Hwee Boon Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences, NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Babaei F, Ramalingam R, Tavendale A, Liang Y, Yan LSK, Ajuh P, Cheng SH, Lam YW. Novel Blood Collection Method Allows Plasma Proteome Analysis from Single Zebrafish. J Proteome Res 2013; 12:1580-90. [DOI: 10.1021/pr3009226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Babaei
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Rajkumar Ramalingam
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Amy Tavendale
- Dundee Cell Products, James Lindsay Place, Dundee Technopole, Dundee DD1 5JJ, Scotland,
U.K
| | - Yimin Liang
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Leo So Kin Yan
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Paul Ajuh
- Dundee Cell Products, James Lindsay Place, Dundee Technopole, Dundee DD1 5JJ, Scotland,
U.K
| | - Shuk Han Cheng
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Yun Wah Lam
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Zhang C, Willett C, Fremgen T. Zebrafish: an animal model for toxicological studies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; Chapter 1:Unit1.7. [PMID: 23045087 DOI: 10.1002/0471140856.tx0107s17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been extensively studied and well described for environmental toxicity studies. Molecular biology and genetics have recently been used to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of toxicity in zebrafish and to predict effects in mammals. The versatile zebrafish is now incorporated in many areas of toxicological programs for assessing human risk and for preclinical drug discovery and screening.
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Sung E, Turan N, Ho PWL, Ho SL, Jarratt PDB, Waring RH, Ramsden DB. Detection of endocrine disruptors - from simple assays to whole genome scanning. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 35:407-14. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2012.01254.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Abstract
The stress response is a normal reaction to a real or perceived threat. However, stress response systems that are overwhelmed or out of balance can increase both the incidence and severity of diseases including addiction and mood and anxiety disorders. Using an animal model with both genetic diversity and large family size can help discover the specific genetic and environmental contributions to these behavioral diseases. The stress response has been studied extensively in teleosts because of their importance in food production. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a major model organism with a strong record for use in developmental biology, genetic screening, and genomic studies. More recently, the stress response of larval and adult zebrafish has been documented. High-throughput automated tracking systems make possible behavioral readouts of the stress response in zebrafish. This non-invasive measure of the stress response can be combined with mutagenesis methods to dissect the genes involved in complex stress response behaviors in vertebrates. Understanding the genetic and epigenetic basis for the stress response in vertebrates will help to develop advanced screening and therapies for stress-aggravated diseases such as addiction and mood and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl J Clark
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55901, USA.
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Wlodkowic D, Khoshmanesh K, Akagi J, Williams DE, Cooper JM. Wormometry-on-a-chip: Innovative technologies for in situ analysis of small multicellular organisms. Cytometry A 2011; 79:799-813. [PMID: 21548078 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.21070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2011] [Revised: 03/09/2011] [Accepted: 03/30/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Small multicellular organisms such as nematodes, fruit flies, clawed frogs, and zebrafish are emerging models for an increasing number of biomedical and environmental studies. They offer substantial advantages over cell lines and isolated tissues, providing analysis under normal physiological milieu of the whole organism. Many bioassays performed on these alternative animal models mirror with a high level of accuracy those performed on inherently low-throughput, costly, and ethically controversial mammalian models of human disease. Analysis of small model organisms in a high-throughput and high-content manner is, however, still a challenging task not easily susceptible to laboratory automation. In this context, recent advances in photonics, electronics, as well as material sciences have facilitated the emergence of miniaturized bioanalytical systems collectively known as Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC). These technologies combine micro- and nanoscale sciences, allowing the application of laminar fluid flow at ultralow volumes in spatially confined chip-based circuitry. LOC technologies are particularly advantageous for the development of a wide array of automated functionalities. The present work outlines the development of innovative miniaturized chip-based devices for the in situ analysis of small model organisms. We also introduce a new term "wormometry" to collectively distinguish these up-and-coming chip-based technologies that go far beyond the conventional meaning of the term "cytometry."
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald Wlodkowic
- Department of Chemistry and MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
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Tsujita T, Li L, Nakajima H, Iwamoto N, Nakajima-Takagi Y, Ohashi K, Kawakami K, Kumagai Y, Freeman BA, Yamamoto M, Kobayashi M. Nitro-fatty acids and cyclopentenone prostaglandins share strategies to activate the Keap1-Nrf2 system: a study using green fluorescent protein transgenic zebrafish. Genes Cells 2011; 16:46-57. [PMID: 21143560 PMCID: PMC4124525 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2443.2010.01466.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Nitro-fatty acids are electrophilic fatty acids produced in vivo from nitrogen peroxide that have many physiological activities. We recently demonstrated that nitro-fatty acids activate the Keap1-Nrf2 system, which protects cells from damage owing to electrophilic or oxidative stresses via transactivating an array of cytoprotective genes, although the molecular mechanism how they activate Nrf2 is unclear. A number of chemical compounds with different structures have been reported to activate the Keap1-Nrf2 system, which can be categorized into at least six classes based on their sensing pathways. In this study, we showed that nitro-oleic acid (OA-NO₂), one of major nitro-fatty acids, activates Nrf2 in the same manner that of a cyclopentenone prostaglandin 15-deoxy-Δ(12,14) -prostaglandin J₂ (15d-PGJ₂) using transgenic zebrafish that expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) in response to Nrf2 activators. In transgenic embryos, GFP was induced in the whole body by treatment with OA-NO₂, 15d-PGJ₂ or diethylmaleate (DEM), but not with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), when exogenous Nrf2 and Keap1 were co-overexpressed. Induction by OA-NO₂ or 15d-PGJ₂ but not DEM was observed, even when a C151S mutation was introduced in Keap1. Our results support the contention that OA-NO₂ and 15d-PGJ₂ share an analogous cysteine code as electrophiles and also have similar anti-inflammatory roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadayuki Tsujita
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Center for TARA, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
- ERATO Environmental Response Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
| | - Li Li
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Center for TARA, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
| | - Hitomi Nakajima
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Center for TARA, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
| | - Noriko Iwamoto
- Institute of Community Medicine, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
| | - Yaeko Nakajima-Takagi
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Center for TARA, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
| | - Ken Ohashi
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Center for TARA, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
| | - Koichi Kawakami
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, and Department of Genetics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), 1111 Yata, Mishima 411-8570, Japan
| | - Yoshito Kumagai
- Institute of Community Medicine, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
| | - Bruce A. Freeman
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Masayuki Yamamoto
- ERATO Environmental Response Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Makoto Kobayashi
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Center for TARA, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
- ERATO Environmental Response Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
- Correspondence:
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Ung CY, Lam SH, Hlaing MM, Winata CL, Korzh S, Mathavan S, Gong Z. Mercury-induced hepatotoxicity in zebrafish: in vivo mechanistic insights from transcriptome analysis, phenotype anchoring and targeted gene expression validation. BMC Genomics 2010; 11:212. [PMID: 20353558 PMCID: PMC2862047 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-11-212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2009] [Accepted: 03/30/2010] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mercury is a prominent environmental contaminant that causes detrimental effects to human health. Although the liver has been known to be a main target organ, there is limited information on in vivo molecular mechanism of mercury-induced toxicity in the liver. By using transcriptome analysis, phenotypic anchoring and validation of targeted gene expression in zebrafish, mercury-induced hepatotoxicity was investigated and a number of perturbed cellular processes were identified and compared with those captured in the in vitro human cell line studies. Results Hepato-transcriptome analysis of mercury-exposed zebrafish revealed that the earliest deregulated genes were associated with electron transport chain, mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation, nuclear receptor signaling and apoptotic pathway, followed by complement system and proteasome pathway, and thereafter DNA damage, hypoxia, Wnt signaling, fatty acid synthesis, gluconeogenesis, cell cycle and motility. Comparative meta-analysis of microarray data between zebrafish liver and human HepG2 cells exposed to mercury identified some common toxicological effects of mercury-induced hepatotoxicity in both models. Histological analyses of liver from mercury-exposed fish revealed morphological changes of liver parenchyma, decreased nucleated cell count, increased lipid vesicles, glycogen and apoptotic bodies, thus providing phenotypic evidence for anchoring of the transcriptome analysis. Validation of targeted gene expression confirmed deregulated gene-pathways from enrichment analysis. Some of these genes responding to low concentrations of mercury may serve as toxicogenomic-based markers for detection and health risk assessment of environmental mercury contaminations. Conclusion Mercury-induced hepatotoxicity was triggered by oxidative stresses, intrinsic apoptotic pathway, deregulation of nuclear receptor and kinase activities including Gsk3 that deregulates Wnt signaling pathway, gluconeogenesis, and adipogenesis, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, endocrine disruption and metabolic disorders. This study provides important mechanistic insights into mercury-induced liver toxicity in a whole-animal physiology context, which will help in understanding the syndromes caused by mercury poisoning. The molecular conservation of mercury-induced hepatotoxicity between zebrafish and human cell line reveals the feasibility of using zebrafish to model molecular toxicity in human for toxicant risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Choong Yong Ung
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Stegeman JJ, Goldstone JV, Hahn ME. Perspectives on zebrafish as a model in environmental toxicology. FISH PHYSIOLOGY 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/s1546-5098(10)02910-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Penza M, Jeremic M, Montani C, Unkila M, Caimi L, Mazzoleni G, Di Lorenzo D. Alternatives to animal experimentation for hormonal compounds research. GENES AND NUTRITION 2009; 4:165-72. [PMID: 19468777 DOI: 10.1007/s12263-009-0124-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2008] [Accepted: 05/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Alternatives to animal testing and the identification of reliable methods that may decrease the need for animals are currently the subject of intense investigation worldwide. Alternative testing procedures are particularly important for synthetic and natural chemicals that exert their biological actions through binding nuclear receptors, called nuclear receptors-interacting compounds (NR-ICs), for which research is increasingly emphasizing the limits of several models in the accurate estimation of the physiological consequences of exposure to these compounds. In particular, estrogen receptor interacting compounds (ER-ICs) have a great impact on human health from the therapeutic, nutritional, and toxicological point of view due to the highly permissive nature of the estrogen receptors towards a large number of natural and synthetic compounds. Similar to in vitro systems, recently generated animal models (e.g., animal models generated for the study of estrogen receptor ligands) may fulfill the 3R principles: refine, reduce, and replace. If used correctly, NR-regulated models, such as reporter mice, xenopus, or zebrafish, and models obtained by somatic gene transfer in reporter systems, combined with imaging technologies, may contribute to strongly decreasing the overall number of animals required for NR-IC testing and research. With these models, flexible and highly standardized parameters and reporter marker quantification can be obtained. Here, we highlight the need for the substitution of currently used testing models with more appropriate ones that can reproduce the features and reactivity of specific mammalian target tissue/organs. We consider the promotion of this advancement a research priority bearing scientific, economic, social, and ethical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Penza
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Civic Hospital of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, A.O. Spedali Civili di Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
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Sassi-Messai S, Gibert Y, Bernard L, Nishio SI, Ferri Lagneau KF, Molina J, Andersson-Lendahl M, Benoit G, Balaguer P, Laudet V. The phytoestrogen genistein affects zebrafish development through two different pathways. PLoS One 2009; 4:e4935. [PMID: 19319186 PMCID: PMC2655710 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2008] [Accepted: 02/10/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endocrine disrupting chemicals are widely distributed in the environment and derive from many different human activities or can also be natural products synthesized by plants or microorganisms. The phytoestrogen, genistein (4', 5, 7-trihydroxy-isoflavone), is a naturally occurring compound found in soy products. Genistein has been the subject of numerous studies because of its known estrogenic activity. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We report that genistein exposure of zebrafish embryos induces apoptosis, mainly in the hindbrain and the anterior spinal cord. Timing experiments demonstrate that apoptosis is induced during a precise developmental window. Since adding ICI 182,780, an ER antagonist, does not rescue the genistein-induced apoptosis and since there is no synergistic effect between genistein and estradiol, we conclude that this apoptotic effect elicited by genistein is estrogen-receptors independent. However, we show in vitro, that genistein binds and activates the three zebrafish estrogen receptors ERalpha, ERbeta-A and ERbeta-B. Furthermore using transgenic ERE-Luciferase fish we show that genistein is able to activate the estrogen pathway in vivo during larval stages. Finally we show that genistein is able to induce ectopic expression of the aromatase-B gene in an ER-dependent manner in the anterior brain in pattern highly similar to the one resulting from estrogen treatment at low concentration. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE TAKEN TOGETHER THESE RESULTS INDICATE THAT GENISTEIN ACTS THROUGH AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT PATHWAYS IN ZEBRAFISH EMBRYOS: (i) it induces apoptosis in an ER-independent manner and (ii) it regulates aromatase-B expression in the brain in an ER-dependent manner. Our results thus highlight the multiplicity of possible actions of phytoestrogens, such as genistein. This suggests that the use of standardized endpoints to study the effect of a given compound, even when this compound has well known targets, may carry the risk of overlooking interesting effects of this compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Sassi-Messai
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Yann Gibert
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Laure Bernard
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Shin-Ichi Nishio
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Karine F. Ferri Lagneau
- Apoptosis and Oncogenesis Laboratory, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Institut Fédératif Biosciences Gerland Lyon Sud, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - José Molina
- Equipe INSERM U896 Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), Montpellier, France
| | - Monika Andersson-Lendahl
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Laboratory of Medical Nutrition, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gérard Benoit
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Patrick Balaguer
- Equipe INSERM U896 Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), Montpellier, France
| | - Vincent Laudet
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
- * E-mail:
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40
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Abstract
Zebrafish has many advantages as a model of human pediatric research. Given the physical and ethical problems with performing experiments on human patients, biomedical research has focused on using model organisms to study biologic processes conserved between humans and lower vertebrates. The most common model organisms are small mammals, usually rats and mice. Although these models have significant advantages, they are also expensive to maintain, difficult to manipulate embryonically, and limited for large-scale genetic studies. The zebrafish model nicely complements these deficiencies in mammalian experimental models. The low cost, small size, and external development of zebrafish make it an excellent model for vertebrate development biology. Techniques for large-scale genome mutagenesis and gene mapping, transgenesis, protein overexpression or knockdown, cell transplantation and chimeric embryo analysis, and chemical screens have immeasurably increased the power of this model organism. It is now possible to rapidly determine the developmental function of a gene of interest in vivo, and then identify genetic and chemical modifiers of the processes involved. Discoveries made in zebrafish can be further validated in mammals. With novel technologies being regularly developed, the zebrafish is poised to significantly improve our understanding of vertebrate development under normal and pathologic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Veldman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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41
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Skromne I, Prince VE. Current perspectives in zebrafish reverse genetics: moving forward. Dev Dyn 2008; 237:861-82. [PMID: 18330930 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Use of the zebrafish as a model of vertebrate development and disease has expanded dramatically over the past decade. While many articles have discussed the strengths of zebrafish forward genetics (the phenotype-driven approach), there has been less emphasis on equally important and frequently used reverse genetics (the candidate gene-driven approach). Here we review both current and prospective reverse genetic techniques that are applicable to the zebrafish model. We include discussion of pharmacological approaches, popular gain-of-function and knockdown approaches, and gene targeting strategies. We consider the need for temporal and spatial control over gain/loss of gene function, and discuss available and developing techniques to achieve this end. Our goal is both to reveal the current technical advantages of the zebrafish and to highlight those areas where work is still required to allow this system to be exploited to full advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Skromne
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, USA.
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42
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Hallerman EM, McLean E, Fleming IA. Effects of growth hormone transgenes on the behavior and welfare of aquacultured fishes: A review identifying research needs. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2006.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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43
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Senger MR, Rico EP, de Bem Arizi M, Frazzon APG, Dias RD, Bogo MR, Bonan CD. Exposure to Hg2+ and Pb2+ changes NTPDase and ecto-5'-nucleotidase activities in central nervous system of zebrafish (Danio rerio). Toxicology 2006; 226:229-37. [PMID: 16930798 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2006.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2006] [Revised: 05/27/2006] [Accepted: 07/14/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Neurotransmission can be affected by exposure to heavy metals, such as mercury and lead. ATP is a signaling molecule that can be metabolized by a group of enzymes called ecto-nucleotidases. Here we investigated the effects of mercury chloride (HgCl(2)) and lead acetate (Pb(CH(3)COO)(2)) on NTPDase (nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase) and ecto-5'-nucleotidase activities in zebrafish brain membranes. In vitro exposure to HgCl(2) decreased ATP and ADP hydrolysis in an uncompetitive mechanism and AMP hydrolysis in a non-competitive manner. Pb(CH(3)COO)(2) inhibited ATP hydrolysis in an uncompetitive manner, but not ADP and AMP hydrolysis. In vivo exposure of zebrafish to HgCl(2) or Pb(CH(3)COO)(2) (20mug/L, during 24, 96h and 30 days) caused differential effects on nucleotide hydrolysis. HgCl(2), during 96h, inhibited the hydrolysis of ATP, ADP and AMP. After 30 days of exposure to HgCl(2), ATP hydrolysis returned to the control levels, ADP hydrolysis was strongly increased and AMP hydrolysis remained inhibited. Exposure to Pb(CH(3)COO)(2) during 96h caused a significant decrease only on ATP hydrolysis. After 30 days, Pb(CH(3)COO)(2) promoted the inhibition of ATP, ADP and AMP hydrolysis. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed no changes in the expression of NTPDase1 and 5'-nucleotidase, following 30 days of exposure to both metals. This study demonstrated that Hg(2+) and Pb(2+) affect the ecto-nucleotidase activities, an important enzymatic pathway for the control of purinergic signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Roberto Senger
- Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Faculdade de Biociências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga 6681, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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44
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Abstract
Zebrafish are vertebrate organisms that are of growing interest for preclinical drug discovery applications. Zebrafish embryos develop most of the major organ systems present in mammals, including the cardiovascular, nervous and digestive systems, in < 1 week. Additional characteristics that make them advantageous for compound screening are their small size, transparency and ability to absorb compounds through the water. Furthermore, gene function analysis with antisense technology is now routine procedure. Thus, it is relatively simple to assess whether compounds or gene knockdowns cause toxic effects in zebrafish. Assays are being developed to exploit the unique characteristics of zebrafish for pharmacological toxicology. This review discusses assays that may be used to assess in vivo toxicity and provides examples of compounds known to be toxic to humans that have been demonstrated to function similarly in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Rubinstein
- Zygogen LLC, 520 Kell Hall, 24 Peachtree Center Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
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45
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Chu KW, Chan SKW, Chow KL. Improvement of heavy metal stress and toxicity assays by coupling a transgenic reporter in a mutant nematode strain. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2005; 74:320-32. [PMID: 16040138 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2005.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2003] [Revised: 06/16/2005] [Accepted: 06/16/2005] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that wild type Caenorhabditis elegans displays high sensitivity to heavy metals in a lethality test at a level comparable to that of other bioindicator organisms. Taking advantage of the genetics of this model organism, we have tested a number of mutant strains for enhanced sensitivity in heavy metal induced lethality and stress response. These mutants are defective in genes controlling dauer formation, longevity or response to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Among the tested mutants, a double mutant daf-16 unc-75 strain was identified to have superior sensitivity. It has a 6-, 3- and 2-fold increase in sensitivity to cadmium, copper and zinc, respectively, as compared with that of wild type animals. When a fluorescent reporter transgene was coupled with this double mutant for stress detection, a 10-fold enhancement of sensitivity to cadmium over the wild type strain was observed. These transgenic animals, superior to most of the model organisms currently used in bioassays for environmental pollutants, offer a fast and economic approach to reveal the bioavailability of toxic substance in field samples. This study also demonstrates that combination of genetic mutations and transgenesis is a viable approach to identify sensitive indicator animals for environmental monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka-Wah Chu
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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46
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Costache AD, Pullela PK, Kasha P, Tomasiewicz H, Sem DS. Homology-modeled ligand-binding domains of zebrafish estrogen receptors alpha, beta1, and beta2: from in silico to in vivo studies of estrogen interactions in Danio rerio as a model system. Mol Endocrinol 2005; 19:2979-90. [PMID: 16081519 DOI: 10.1210/me.2004-0435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Homology models were constructed for the ligand-binding domains of zebrafish estrogen receptors (zfERs) alpha, beta(1), and beta(2). Estradiol-binding sites are nearly identical in zfERs and their human homologs, suggesting that zebrafish will serve as a good model system for studying human ER-binding drugs. Conversely, studies of endocrine disruptor effects on zebrafish will benefit from the wealth of data available on xenoestrogen interactions with human ERs. Compounds flagged by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods for endocrine disruptor screening were docked into our zfER homology models. Ideally, these in silico docking studies would be complemented with in vivo binding studies. To this end, fluorescently tagged estradiol was docked into zfERalpha and found to bind in the same manner as in human ERalpha, with fluorescein preferentially occupying a region between helices 11 and 12. Fluorescently tagged estradiol was synthesized and was found to localize along the path of primordial germ cell migration in the developing zebrafish embryo 3 d after fertilization, consistent with previous reports of 1) a role for estradiol in sex determination, and 2) the first appearance of ERs 2 d after fertilization. These data provide a foundation for future in silico and in vivo binding studies of estrogen agonists and antagonists with zebrafish ERs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora D Costache
- Chemical Proteomics Facility at Marquette, Department of Chemistry, Marquette University, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
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47
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Janosek J, Hilscherová K, Bláha L, Holoubek I. Environmental xenobiotics and nuclear receptors--interactions, effects and in vitro assessment. Toxicol In Vitro 2005; 20:18-37. [PMID: 16061344 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2005.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2004] [Revised: 05/19/2005] [Accepted: 06/13/2005] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A group of intracellular nuclear receptors is a protein superfamily including arylhydrocarbon AhR, estrogen ER, androgen AR, thyroid TR and retinoid receptors RAR/RXR as well as molecules with unknown function known as orphan receptors. These proteins play an important role in a wide range of physiological as well as toxicological processes acting as transcription factors (ligand-dependent signalling macromolecules modulating expression of various genes in a positive or negative manner). A large number of environmental pollutants and other xenobiotics negatively affect signaling pathways, in which nuclear receptors are involved, and these modulations were related to important in vivo toxic effects such as immunosuppression, carcinogenesis, reproduction or developmental toxicity, and embryotoxicity. Presented review summarizes current knowledge on major nuclear receptors (AhR, ER, AR, RAR/RXR, TR) and their relationship to known in vivo toxic effects. Special attention is focused on priority organic environmental contaminants and experimental approaches for determination and studies of specific toxicity mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Janosek
- RECETOX, Masaryk University Brno, Kamenice 3, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
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48
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Lein P, Silbergeld E, Locke P, Goldberg AM. In vitro and other alternative approaches to developmental neurotoxicity testing (DNT). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2005; 19:735-744. [PMID: 21783550 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2004.12.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
To address the growing need for scientifically valid and humane alternatives to developmental neurotoxicity testing (DNT), we propose that basic research scientists in developmental neurobiology be brought together with mechanistic toxicologists and policy analysts to develop the science and policy for DNT alternatives that are based on evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of neurodevelopment. In this article we briefly review in vitro and other alternative models and present our rationale for proposing that resources be focused on adapting alternative simple organism systems for DNT. We recognize that alternatives to DNT will not completely replace a DNT paradigm that involves in vivo testing in mammals. However, we believe that alternatives will be of great value in prioritizing chemicals and in identifying mechanisms of developmental neurotoxicity, which in turn will be useful in refining and reducing in vivo mammalian tests for exposures most likely to be hazardous to the developing human nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Lein
- Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology, Oregon Health and Science University, CROET/L606, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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49
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Postlethwait J, Ruotti V, Carvan MJ, Tonellato PJ. Automated analysis of conserved syntenies for the zebrafish genome. Methods Cell Biol 2005; 77:255-71. [PMID: 15602916 DOI: 10.1016/s0091-679x(04)77014-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- John Postlethwait
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA
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50
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Blanco GA, Cooper EL. Immune systems, geographic information systems (GIS), environment and health impacts. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2004; 7:465-480. [PMID: 15586880 DOI: 10.1080/10937400490512375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been related to alterations in cellular and humoral immune responses in both adaptive and innate immune systems of most animal species. These compounds share a common signaling mechanism to exert their effects on cells of the immune system, which includes the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and the AhR nuclear translocator (ARN). Recently, the interference of AhR-ARNT with the nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB signaling pathway has been proposed as a critical event in the adverse effects on the immune system. Studies on the effects of these AhR-ARNT-related toxicants on the immune system of higher and lower phylum animals and knowledge of intracellular mechanisms of toxicity may contribute to development of biomarkers of ecotoxicant exposure and effects. Biomarkers of this kind allow sampling over extended geographic areas, in several sentinel species, including wildlife animals, and facilitate the building of risk models and risk maps of environmentally induced diseases. On the basis of location, biomarker sampled data obtained through evaluation of ecotoxicant exposure and effects on the immune system in sentinel species can be further integrated and analyzed together with other sources of environmental geographic information, or human population health data, by means of geographic information systems (GIS). The spatial analysis capability of GIS can help to evaluate the complex relationships of overlaid information and to identify areas with high risk indices or "hot spots." This integrative approach can be useful in studies contributing to support environmental and health-related policies and regulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo A Blanco
- Department of Immunology, IDEHU-National Research Council (CONICET), School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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