1
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Wang YY, Liang XF, Lu K. Knockout of SWS2 in zebrafish (Danio rerio) reveals its roles in feeding and phototactic behaviors. Gene 2024; 897:148059. [PMID: 38043833 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.148059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Common ancestor of vertebrates had four cone opsin subfamilies to obtain color vision: ultraviolet-sensitive (SWS1), blue-sensitive (SWS2), middle wavelength sensitive (RH2) and long wavelength sensitive (LWS). Nevertheless, eutherian mammals had lost the SWS2 and RH2 opsins during their nocturnal lifestyle. Many studies had demonstrated the role of SWS1 and LWS cones in feeding, mate choice and skin pigment cell formation. However, the role of SWS2 and RH2 cones remain elusive. In the present study, we used an ideal model visual system, zebrafish, which still have the four cone opsins, to generate a SWS2 knockout zebrafish line. Through various behavioral test, we found that sws2-/- zebrafish larvae exhibited increased food intake compared with WT. Additionally, there were significantly increased the gene expression of phototransduction pathways in sws2-/- zebrafish larvae. Compared to WT, mutant zebrafish showed weaker phototaxis of red light and changed sensitivity of yellow, red and blue lights. But both mutant and WT zebrafish preferred the red light than other wavelengths of light. Taken together, we proposed that SWS2 cone is not necessary for feeding and phototaxis in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ye Wang
- College of Fisheries, Chinese Perch Research Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Engineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xu-Fang Liang
- College of Fisheries, Chinese Perch Research Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Engineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Ke Lu
- College of Fisheries, Chinese Perch Research Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Engineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430070, China
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2
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Lyu P, Iribarne M, Serjanov D, Zhai Y, Hoang T, Campbell LJ, Boyd P, Palazzo I, Nagashima M, Silva NJ, Hitchcock PF, Qian J, Hyde DR, Blackshaw S. Common and divergent gene regulatory networks control injury-induced and developmental neurogenesis in zebrafish retina. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8477. [PMID: 38123561 PMCID: PMC10733277 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44142-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Following acute retinal damage, zebrafish possess the ability to regenerate all neuronal subtypes through Müller glia (MG) reprogramming and asymmetric cell division that produces a multipotent Müller glia-derived neuronal progenitor cell (MGPC). This raises three key questions. First, do MG reprogram to a developmental retinal progenitor cell (RPC) state? Second, to what extent does regeneration recapitulate retinal development? And finally, does loss of different retinal cell subtypes induce unique MG regeneration responses? We examined these questions by performing single-nuclear and single-cell RNA-Seq and ATAC-Seq in both developing and regenerating retinas. Here we show that injury induces MG to reprogram to a state similar to late-stage RPCs. However, there are major transcriptional differences between MGPCs and RPCs, as well as major transcriptional differences between activated MG and MGPCs when different retinal cell subtypes are damaged. Validation of candidate genes confirmed that loss of different subtypes induces differences in transcription factor gene expression and regeneration outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pin Lyu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Maria Iribarne
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
- Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
- Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Dmitri Serjanov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
- Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
- Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Yijie Zhai
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Thanh Hoang
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Leah J Campbell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
- Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
- Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Patrick Boyd
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
- Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
- Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Isabella Palazzo
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Mikiko Nagashima
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA
| | - Nicholas J Silva
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA
| | - Peter F Hitchcock
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA
| | - Jiang Qian
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
| | - David R Hyde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
- Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
- Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
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3
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Mizoguchi K, Sato M, Saito R, Koshikuni M, Sakakibara M, Manabe R, Harada Y, Uchikawa T, Ansai S, Kamei Y, Naruse K, Fukamachi S. Behavioral photosensitivity of multi-color-blind medaka: enhanced response under ultraviolet light in the absence of short-wavelength-sensitive opsins. BMC Neurosci 2023; 24:67. [PMID: 38097940 PMCID: PMC10722765 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-023-00835-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The behavioral photosensitivity of animals could be quantified via the optomotor response (OMR), for example, and the luminous efficiency function (the range of visible light) should largely rely on the repertoire and expression of light-absorbing proteins in the retina, i.e., the opsins. In fact, the OMR under red light was suppressed in medaka lacking the red (long-wavelength sensitive [LWS]) opsin. RESULTS We investigated the ultraviolet (UV)- or blue-light sensitivity of medaka lacking the violet (short-wavelength sensitive 1 [SWS1]) and blue (SWS2) opsins. The sws1/sws2 double or sws1/sws2/lws triple mutants were as viable as the wild type. The remaining green (rhodopsin 2 [RH2]) or red opsins were not upregulated. Interestingly, the OMR of the double or triple mutants was equivalent or even increased under UV or blue light (λ = 350, 365, or 450 nm), which demonstrated that the rotating stripes (i.e., changes in luminance) could fully be recognized under UV light using RH2 alone. The OMR test using dichromatic stripes projected onto an RGB display consistently showed that the presence or absence of SWS1 and SWS2 did not affect the equiluminant conditions. CONCLUSIONS RH2 and LWS, but not SWS1 and SWS2, should predominantly contribute to the postreceptoral processes leading to the OMR or, possibly, to luminance detection in general, as the medium-wavelength-sensitive and LWS cones, but not the SWS cones, are responsible for luminance detection in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyono Mizoguchi
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Mejirodai 2-8-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan
| | - Mayu Sato
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Mejirodai 2-8-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan
| | - Rina Saito
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Mejirodai 2-8-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan
| | - Mayu Koshikuni
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Mejirodai 2-8-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan
| | - Mana Sakakibara
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Mejirodai 2-8-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan
| | - Ran Manabe
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Mejirodai 2-8-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan
| | - Yumi Harada
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Mejirodai 2-8-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan
| | - Tamaki Uchikawa
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Mejirodai 2-8-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ansai
- Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Miyagi, 980-8577, Japan
- Laboratory of Genome Editing Breeding, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kamei
- Spectrography and Bioimaging Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Naruse
- Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shoji Fukamachi
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Mejirodai 2-8-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan.
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Veen K, Krylov A, Yu S, He J, Boyd P, Hyde DR, Mantamadiotis T, Cheng LY, Jusuf PR. Her6 and Prox1a are novel regulators of photoreceptor regeneration in the zebrafish retina. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1011010. [PMID: 37930995 PMCID: PMC10653607 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Damage to light-sensing photoreceptors (PRs) occurs in highly prevalent retinal diseases. As humans cannot regenerate new PRs, these diseases often lead to irreversible blindness. Intriguingly, animals, such as the zebrafish, can regenerate PRs efficiently and restore functional vision. Upon injury, mature Müller glia (MG) undergo reprogramming to adopt a stem cell-like state. This process is similar to cellular dedifferentiation, and results in the generation of progenitor cells, which, in turn, proliferate and differentiate to replace lost retinal neurons. In this study, we tested whether factors involved in dedifferentiation of Drosophila CNS are implicated in the regenerative response in the zebrafish retina. We found that hairy-related 6 (her6) negatively regulates of PR production by regulating the rate of cell divisions in the MG-derived progenitors. prospero homeobox 1a (prox1a) is expressed in differentiated PRs and may promote PR differentiation through phase separation. Interestingly, upon Her6 downregulation, Prox1a is precociously upregulated in the PRs, to promote PR differentiation; conversely, loss of Prox1a also induces a downregulation of Her6. Together, we identified two novel candidates of PR regeneration that cross regulate each other; these may be exploited to promote human retinal regeneration and vision recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellie Veen
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Aaron Krylov
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shuguang Yu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Centre for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie He
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Centre for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Patrick Boyd
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Zebrafish Research, and Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - David R. Hyde
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Zebrafish Research, and Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Theo Mantamadiotis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Louise Y. Cheng
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patricia R. Jusuf
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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5
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Blackshaw S, Lyu P, Zhai Y, Qian J, Iribarne M, Serjanov D, Campbell L, Boyd P, Hyde D, Palazzo I, Hoang T, Nagashima M, Silva N, Hitchcock P. Common and divergent gene regulatory networks control injury-induced and developmental neurogenesis in zebrafish retina. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3294233. [PMID: 37790324 PMCID: PMC10543505 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3294233/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Following acute retinal damage, zebrafish possess the ability to regenerate all neuronal subtypes. This regeneration requires Müller glia (MG) to reprogram and divide asymmetrically to produce a multipotent Müller glia-derived neuronal progenitor cell (MGPC). This raises three key questions. First, does loss of different retinal cell subtypes induce unique MG regeneration responses? Second, do MG reprogram to a developmental retinal progenitor cell state? And finally, to what extent does regeneration recapitulate retinal development? We examined these questions by performing single-nuclear and single-cell RNA-Seq and ATAC-Seq in both developing and regenerating retinas. While MG reprogram to a state similar to late-stage retinal progenitors in developing retinas, there are transcriptional differences between reprogrammed MG/MGPCs and late progenitors, as well as reprogrammed MG in outer and inner retinal damage models. Validation of candidate genes confirmed that loss of different subtypes induces differences in transcription factor gene expression and regeneration outcomes. This work identifies major differences between gene regulatory networks activated following the selective loss of different subtypes of retina neurons, as well as between retinal regeneration and development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yijie Zhai
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | - Jiang Qian
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
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6
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Lyu P, Iribarne M, Serjanov D, Zhai Y, Hoang T, Campbell LJ, Boyd P, Palazzo I, Nagashima M, Silva NJ, HItchcock PF, Qian J, Hyde DR, Blackshaw S. Common and divergent gene regulatory networks control injury-induced and developmental neurogenesis in zebrafish retina. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.08.552451. [PMID: 37609307 PMCID: PMC10441373 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.08.552451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Following acute retinal damage, zebrafish possess the ability to regenerate all neuronal subtypes. This regeneration requires Müller glia (MG) to reprogram and divide asymmetrically to produce a multipotent Müller glia-derived neuronal progenitor cell (MGPC). This raises three key questions. First, does loss of different retinal cell subtypes induce unique MG regeneration responses? Second, do MG reprogram to a developmental retinal progenitor cell state? And finally, to what extent does regeneration recapitulate retinal development? We examined these questions by performing single-nuclear and single-cell RNA-Seq and ATAC-Seq in both developing and regenerating retinas. While MG reprogram to a state similar to late-stage retinal progenitors in developing retinas, there are transcriptional differences between reprogrammed MG/MGPCs and late progenitors, as well as reprogrammed MG in outer and inner retinal damage models. Validation of candidate genes confirmed that loss of different subtypes induces differences in transcription factor gene expression and regeneration outcomes. This work identifies major differences between gene regulatory networks activated following the selective loss of different subtypes of retina neurons, as well as between retinal regeneration and development.
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7
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Lin CY, Yeh KY, Lai HH, Her GM. AgRP Neuron-Specific Ablation Represses Appetite, Energy Intake, and Somatic Growth in Larval Zebrafish. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020499. [PMID: 36831035 PMCID: PMC9953713 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal circuits regulating appetite are dominated by arcuate nucleus neurons, which include appetite-promoting and -suppressing neurons that release the orexigenic neuropeptide agouti-related protein (AgRP) and anorexigenic neuropeptide pro-opiomelanocortin, respectively, to compete for melanocortin receptors to modulate feeding behavior. In this study, we expressed novel agrp promoters, including different lengths of the 5' flanking regions of the agrp gene (4749 bp) in the zebrafish genome. We used the agrp promoter to derive the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-nitroreductase (NTR) fusion protein, allowing expression of the green fluorescence signal in the AgRP neurons. Then, we treated the transgenic zebrafish AgRP4.7NTR (Tg [agrp-EGFP-NTR]) with metronidazole to ablate the AgRP neurons in the larvae stage and observed a decline in their appetite and growth. The expression of most orexigenic and growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor axis genes decreased, whereas that of several anorexigenic genes increased. Our findings demonstrate that AgRP is a critical regulator of neuronal signaling for zebrafish appetite and energy intake control. Thus, AgRP4.7NTR can be used as a drug-screening platform for therapeutic targets to treat human appetite disorders, including obesity. Furthermore, the unique agrp promoter we identified can be a powerful tool for research on AgRP neurons, especially AgRP neuron-mediated pathways in the hypothalamus, and appetite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiu-Ya Lin
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung City 202, Taiwan
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| | - Kun-Yun Yeh
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung City 204, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Hung Lai
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| | - Guor Mour Her
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-2-2826-7000 (ext. 67990)
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8
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Iribarne M, Hyde DR. Different inflammation responses modulate Müller glia proliferation in the acute or chronically damaged zebrafish retina. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:892271. [PMID: 36120571 PMCID: PMC9472244 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.892271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike mammals, zebrafish regenerate in response to retinal damage. Because microglia are activated by retinal damage, we investigated their role during regeneration following either acute or chronic damage. At three weeks post-fertilization (wpf), both wild-type fish exhibiting NMDA-induced acute ganglion and amacrine cell death and gold rush (gosh) mutant fish possessing chronic cone photoreceptor degeneration displayed reactive microglia/macrophages and Müller glia proliferation. Dexamethasone-treated retinas, to inhibit the immune response, lacked reactive microglia/macrophages and possessed fewer PCNA-positive cells, while LPS treatment increased microglia/macrophages and PCNA-labeled cells. NMDA-injured retinas upregulated expression of il-1β and tnfα pro-inflammatory cytokine genes, followed by increased expression of il-10 and arg1 anti-inflammatory/remodeling cytokine genes. A transient early TNFα pro-inflammatory microglia/macrophage population was visualized in NMDA-damaged retinas. In contrast, gosh mutant retinas exhibited a slight increase of pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression concurrently with a greater increased anti-inflammatory/remodeling cytokine gene expression. Few TNFα pro-inflammatory microglia/macrophages were observed in the gosh retina. Understanding why acute and chronic damage results in different inflammation profiles and their effects on regulating zebrafish retinal regeneration would provide important clues toward improving therapeutic strategies for repairing injured mammalian tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Iribarne
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
- Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
- Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - David R. Hyde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
- Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
- Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: David R. Hyde,
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9
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Sharma P, Ramachandran R. Retina regeneration: lessons from vertebrates. OXFORD OPEN NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 1:kvac012. [PMID: 38596712 PMCID: PMC10913848 DOI: 10.1093/oons/kvac012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Unlike mammals, vertebrates such as fishes and frogs exhibit remarkable tissue regeneration including the central nervous system. Retina being part of the central nervous system has attracted the interest of several research groups to explore its regenerative ability in different vertebrate models including mice. Fishes and frogs completely restore the size, shape and tissue structure of an injured retina. Several studies have unraveled molecular mechanisms underlying retina regeneration. In teleosts, soon after injury, the Müller glial cells of the retina reprogram to form a proliferating population of Müller glia-derived progenitor cells capable of differentiating into various neural cell types and Müller glia. In amphibians, the transdifferentiation of retinal pigment epithelium and differentiation of ciliary marginal zone cells contribute to retina regeneration. In chicks and mice, supplementation with external growth factors or genetic modifications cause a partial regenerative response in the damaged retina. The initiation of retina regeneration is achieved through sequential orchestration of gene expression through controlled modulations in the genetic and epigenetic landscape of the progenitor cells. Several developmental biology pathways are turned on during the Müller glia reprogramming, retinal pigment epithelium transdifferentiation and ciliary marginal zone differentiation. Further, several tumorigenic pathways and gene expression events also contribute to the complete regeneration cascade of events. In this review, we address the various retinal injury paradigms and subsequent gene expression events governed in different vertebrate species. Further, we compared how vertebrates such as teleost fishes and amphibians can achieve excellent regenerative responses in the retina compared with their mammalian counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, Knowledge City, SAS Nagar, Sector 81, Manauli PO, 140306 Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Rajesh Ramachandran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, Knowledge City, SAS Nagar, Sector 81, Manauli PO, 140306 Mohali, Punjab, India
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10
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Leach LL, Fisher GB, Gross JM. Nitroreductase/Metronidazole-Mediated Ablation and a MATLAB Platform (RpEGEN) for Studying Regeneration of the Zebrafish Retinal Pigment Epithelium. J Vis Exp 2022:10.3791/63658. [PMID: 35311832 PMCID: PMC9036407 DOI: 10.3791/63658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) resides at the back of the eye and performs functions essential for maintaining the health and integrity of adjacent retinal and vascular tissues. At present, the limited reparative capacity of mammalian RPE, which is restricted to small injuries, has hindered progress to understanding in vivo RPE regenerative processes. Here, a detailed methodology is provided to facilitate the study of in vivo RPE repair utilizing the zebrafish, a vertebrate model capable of robust tissue regeneration. This protocol describes a transgenic nitroreductase/metronidazole (NTR/MTZ)-mediated injury paradigm (rpe65a:nfsB-eGFP), which results in ablation of the central two-thirds of the RPE after 24 h treatment with MTZ, with subsequent tissue recovery. Focus is placed on RPE ablations in larval zebrafish and methods for testing the effects of pharmacological compounds on RPE regeneration are also outlined. Generation and validation of RpEGEN, a MATLAB script created to automate quantification of RPE regeneration based on pigmentation, is also discussed. Beyond active RPE repair mechanisms, this protocol can be expanded to studies of RPE degeneration and injury responses as well as the effects of RPE damage on adjacent retinal and vascular tissues, among other cellular and molecular processes. This zebrafish system holds significant promise in identifying genes, networks, and processes that drive RPE regeneration and RPE disease-related mechanisms, with the long-term goal of applying this knowledge to mammalian systems and, ultimately, toward therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyndsay L. Leach
- Department of Ophthalmology, Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
| | - G. Burch Fisher
- Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara
| | - Jeffrey M. Gross
- Department of Ophthalmology, Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine,Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
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11
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Stenkamp DL, Viall DD, Mitchell DM. Evidence of regional specializations in regenerated zebrafish retina. Exp Eye Res 2021; 212:108789. [PMID: 34653519 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Adult zebrafish are capable of functional retinal regeneration following damage. A goal of vision science is to stimulate or permit a similar process in mammals to treat human retinal disease and trauma. Ideally such a process would reconstitute the stereotyped, two-dimensional topographic patterns and regional specializations of specific cell types, functionally important for representation of the visual field. An example in humans is the cone-rich fovea, essential for high-acuity color vision. Stereotyped, global topographic patterns of specific retinal cell types are also found in zebrafish, particularly for cone types expressing the tandemly-replicated lws (long wavelength-sensitive) and rh2 (middle wavelength-sensitive) opsins. Here we examine whether regionally specialized patterns of LWS1 and LWS2 cones are restored in regenerated retinas in zebrafish. Adult transgenic zebrafish carrying fluorescent reporters for lws1 and lws2 were subjected to retinal lesions that destroy all neurons but spare glia, via intraocular injection of the neurotoxin ouabain. Regenerated and contralateral control retinas were mounted whole or sectioned, and imaged. Overall spatial patterns of lws1 vs. lws2 opsin-expressing cones in regenerated retinas were remarkably similar to those of control retinas, with LWS1 cones in ventral/peripheral regions, and LWS2 cones in dorsal/central regions. However, LWS2 cones occupied a smaller fraction of regenerated retina, and several cones co-expressed the lws1 and lws2 reporters in regenerated retinas. Local patterns of regenerated LWS1 cones showed modest reductions in regularity. These results suggest that some of the regional patterning information, or the source of such signals, for LWS cone subtypes may be retained by undamaged cell types (Müller glia or RPE) and re-deployed during regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah L Stenkamp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 82844, USA.
| | - Derek D Viall
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 82844, USA
| | - Diana M Mitchell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 82844, USA
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12
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Sherpa RD, Hui SP. An insight on established retinal injury mechanisms and prevalent retinal stem cell activation pathways in vertebrate models. Animal Model Exp Med 2021; 4:189-203. [PMID: 34557646 PMCID: PMC8446703 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Implementing different tools and injury mechanisms in multiple animal models of retina regeneration, researchers have discovered the existence of retinal stem/progenitor cells. Although they appear to be distributed uniformly across the vertebrate lineage, the reparative potential of the retina is mainly restricted to lower vertebrates. Regenerative repair post-injury requires the creation of a proliferative niche, vital for proper stem cell activation, propagation, and lineage differentiation. This seems to be lacking in mammals. Hence, in this review, we first discuss the many forms of retinal injuries that have been generated using animal models. Next, we discuss how they are utilized to stimulate regeneration and mimic eye disease pathologies. The key to driving stem cell activation in mammals relies on the information we can gather from these models. Lastly, we present a brief update about the genes, growth factors, and signaling pathways that have been brought to light using these models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Subhra Prakash Hui
- S. N. Pradhan Centre for NeurosciencesUniversity of CalcuttaKolkataIndia
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13
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Brandli A, Dudczig S, Currie PD, Jusuf PR. Photoreceptor ablation following ATP induced injury triggers Müller glia driven regeneration in zebrafish. Exp Eye Res 2021; 207:108569. [PMID: 33839111 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Retinal regeneration research offers hope to people affected by visual impairment due to disease and injury. Ongoing research has explored many avenues towards retinal regeneration, including those that utilizes implantation of devices, cells or targeted viral-mediated gene therapy. These results have so far been limited, as gene therapy only has applications for rare single-gene mutations and implantations are invasive and in the case of cell transplantation donor cells often fail to integrate with adult neurons. An alternative mode of retinal regeneration utilizes a stem cell population unique to vertebrate retina - Müller glia (MG). Endogenous MG can readily regenerate lost neurons spontaneously in zebrafish and to a very limited extent in mammalian retina. The use of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been shown to induce retinal degeneration and activation of the MG in mammals, but whether this is conserved to other vertebrate species including those with higher regenerative capacity remains unknown. In our study, we injected a single dose of ATP intravitreal in zebrafish to characterize the cell death and MG induced regeneration. We used TUNEL labelling on retinal sections to show that ATP caused localised death of photoreceptors and ganglion cells within 24 h. Histology of GFP-transgenic zebrafish and BrdU injected fish demonstrated that MG proliferation peaked at days 3 and 4 post-ATP injection. Using BrdU labelling and photoreceptor markers (Zpr1) we observed regeneration of lost rod photoreceptors at day 14. This study has been undertaken to allow for comparative studies between mammals and zebrafish that use the same specific induction method of injury, i.e. ATP induced injury to allow for direct comparison of across species to narrow down resulting differences that might reflect the differing regenerative capacity. The ultimate aim of this work is to recapitulate pro-neurogenesis Müller glia signaling in mammals to produce new neurons that integrate with the existing retinal circuit to restore vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Brandli
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia; Deptartment of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Stefanie Dudczig
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia; School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Peter D Currie
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Patricia R Jusuf
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia; School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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14
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Jaroszynska N, Harding P, Moosajee M. Metabolism in the Zebrafish Retina. J Dev Biol 2021; 9:10. [PMID: 33804189 PMCID: PMC8006245 DOI: 10.3390/jdb9010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal photoreceptors are amongst the most metabolically active cells in the body, consuming more glucose as a metabolic substrate than even the brain. This ensures that there is sufficient energy to establish and maintain photoreceptor functions during and after their differentiation. Such high dependence on glucose metabolism is conserved across vertebrates, including zebrafish from early larval through to adult retinal stages. As the zebrafish retina develops rapidly, reaching an adult-like structure by 72 hours post fertilisation, zebrafish larvae can be used to study metabolism not only during retinogenesis, but also in functionally mature retinae. The interplay between rod and cone photoreceptors and the neighbouring retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells establishes a metabolic ecosystem that provides essential control of their individual functions, overall maintaining healthy vision. The RPE facilitates efficient supply of glucose from the choroidal vasculature to the photoreceptors, which produce metabolic products that in turn fuel RPE metabolism. Many inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) result in photoreceptor degeneration, either directly arising from photoreceptor-specific mutations or secondary to RPE loss, leading to sight loss. Evidence from a number of vertebrate studies suggests that the imbalance of the metabolic ecosystem in the outer retina contributes to metabolic failure and disease pathogenesis. The use of larval zebrafish mutants with disease-specific mutations that mirror those seen in human patients allows us to uncover mechanisms of such dysregulation and disease pathology with progression from embryonic to adult stages, as well as providing a means of testing novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philippa Harding
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London EC1V 9EL, UK;
| | - Mariya Moosajee
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London EC1V 9EL, UK;
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London EC1V 2PD, UK
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
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15
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Neurodegeneration, Neuroprotection and Regeneration in the Zebrafish Retina. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030633. [PMID: 33809186 PMCID: PMC8000332 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative retinal diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, involve a gradual loss of neurons in the retina as the disease progresses. Central nervous system neurons are not able to regenerate in mammals, therefore, an often sought after course of treatment for neuronal loss follows a neuroprotective or regenerative strategy. Neuroprotection is the process of preserving the structure and function of the neurons that have survived a harmful insult; while regenerative approaches aim to replace or rewire the neurons and synaptic connections that were lost, or induce regrowth of damaged axons or dendrites. In order to test the neuroprotective effectiveness or the regenerative capacity of a particular agent, a robust experimental model of retinal neuronal damage is essential. Zebrafish are being used more often in this type of study because their eye structure and development is well-conserved between zebrafish and mammals. Zebrafish are robust genetic tools and are relatively inexpensive to maintain. The large array of functional and behavioral tests available in zebrafish makes them an attractive model for neuroprotection studies. Some common insults used to model retinal disease and study neuroprotection in zebrafish include intense light, chemical toxicity and mechanical damage. This review covers the existing retinal neuroprotection and regeneration literature in the zebrafish and highlights their potential for future studies.
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16
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Noel NCL, MacDonald IM, Allison WT. Zebrafish Models of Photoreceptor Dysfunction and Degeneration. Biomolecules 2021; 11:78. [PMID: 33435268 PMCID: PMC7828047 DOI: 10.3390/biom11010078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish are an instrumental system for the generation of photoreceptor degeneration models, which can be utilized to determine underlying causes of photoreceptor dysfunction and death, and for the analysis of potential therapeutic compounds, as well as the characterization of regenerative responses. We review the wealth of information from existing zebrafish models of photoreceptor disease, specifically as they relate to currently accepted taxonomic classes of human rod and cone disease. We also highlight that rich, detailed information can be derived from studying photoreceptor development, structure, and function, including behavioural assessments and in vivo imaging of zebrafish. Zebrafish models are available for a diversity of photoreceptor diseases, including cone dystrophies, which are challenging to recapitulate in nocturnal mammalian systems. Newly discovered models of photoreceptor disease and drusenoid deposit formation may not only provide important insights into pathogenesis of disease, but also potential therapeutic approaches. Zebrafish have already shown their use in providing pre-clinical data prior to testing genetic therapies in clinical trials, such as antisense oligonucleotide therapy for Usher syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C. L. Noel
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada; (I.M.M.); (W.T.A.)
| | - Ian M. MacDonald
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada; (I.M.M.); (W.T.A.)
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R7, Canada
| | - W. Ted Allison
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada; (I.M.M.); (W.T.A.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada
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17
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Oel AP, Neil GJ, Dong EM, Balay SD, Collett K, Allison WT. Nrl Is Dispensable for Specification of Rod Photoreceptors in Adult Zebrafish Despite Its Deeply Conserved Requirement Earlier in Ontogeny. iScience 2020; 23:101805. [PMID: 33299975 PMCID: PMC7702016 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor NRL (neural retina leucine zipper) has been canonized as the master regulator of photoreceptor cell fate in the retina. NRL is necessary and sufficient to specify rod cell fate and to preclude cone cell fate in mice. By engineering zebrafish, we tested if NRL function has conserved roles beyond mammals or beyond nocturnal species, i.e., in a vertebrate possessing a greater and more typical diversity of cone sub-types. Transgenic expression of Nrl from zebrafish or mouse was sufficient to induce rod photoreceptor cells. Zebrafish nrl−/− mutants lacked rods (and had excess UV-sensitive cones) as young larvae; thus, the conservation of Nrl function between mice and zebrafish appears sound. Strikingly, however, rods were abundant in adult nrl−/− null mutant zebrafish. Rods developed in adults despite Nrl protein being undetectable. Therefore, a yet-to-be-revealed non-canonical pathway independent of Nrl is able to specify the fate of some rod photoreceptors. Nrl is conserved and sufficient to specify rod photoreceptors in the zebrafish retina Nrl is necessary for rod photoreceptors in early ontogeny of zebrafish larvae Zebrafish Nrl is functionally conserved with mouse and human NRL Remarkably, Nrl is dispensable for rod specification in adult zebrafish
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Affiliation(s)
- A Phillip Oel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, T7Y 1C4, Canada
| | - Gavin J Neil
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, T7Y 1C4, Canada
| | - Emily M Dong
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, T7Y 1C4, Canada
| | - Spencer D Balay
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, T7Y 1C4, Canada
| | - Keon Collett
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, T7Y 1C4, Canada
| | - W Ted Allison
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, T7Y 1C4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
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18
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Huckenpahler AL, Lookfong NA, Warr E, Heffernan E, Carroll J, Collery RF. Noninvasive Imaging of Cone Ablation and Regeneration in Zebrafish. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2020; 9:18. [PMID: 32983626 PMCID: PMC7500127 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.9.10.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To observe and characterize cone degeneration and regeneration in a selective metronidazole-mediated ablation model of ultraviolet-sensitive (UV) cones in zebrafish using in vivo optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. Methods Twenty-six sws1:nfsB-mCherry;sws2:eGFP zebrafish were imaged with OCT, treated with metronidazole to selectively kill UV cones, and imaged at 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, or 56 days after ablation. Regions 200 × 200 µm were cropped from volume OCT scans to count individual UV cones before and after ablation. Fish eyes were fixed, and immunofluorescence staining was used to corroborate cone density measured from OCT and to track monocyte response. Results Histology shows significant loss of UV cones after metronidazole treatment with a slight increase in observable blue cone density one day after treatment (Kruskal, Wallis, P = 0.0061) and no significant change in blue cones at all other timepoints. Regenerated UV cones measured from OCT show significantly lower density than pre-cone-ablation at 14, 28, and 56 days after ablation (analysis of variance, P < 0.01, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, respectively, 15.9% of expected nonablated levels). Histology shows significant changes to monocyte morphology (mixed-effects analysis, P < 0.0001) and retinal position (mixed-effects analysis, P < 0.0001). Conclusions OCT can be used to observe loss of individual cones selectively ablated by metronidazole prodrug activation and to quantify UV cone loss and regeneration in zebrafish. OCT images also show transient changes to the blue cone mosaic and inner retinal layers that occur concomitantly with selective UV cone ablation. Translational Relevance Profiling cone degeneration and regeneration using in vivo imaging enables experiments that may lead to a better understanding of cone regeneration in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L Huckenpahler
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | - Emma Warr
- Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Elizabeth Heffernan
- Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Joseph Carroll
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Ross F Collery
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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19
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Kanazawa N, Goto M, Harada Y, Takimoto C, Sasaki Y, Uchikawa T, Kamei Y, Matsuo M, Fukamachi S. Changes in a Cone Opsin Repertoire Affect Color-Dependent Social Behavior in Medaka but Not Behavioral Photosensitivity. Front Genet 2020; 11:801. [PMID: 32903371 PMCID: PMC7434946 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Common ancestors of vertebrates had four types of cone opsins: short-wavelength sensitive 1 (SWS1), SWS2, rhodopsin 2 (RH2), and long-wavelength sensitive (LWS) types. Whereas fish and birds retain all the types, mammals have lost two of them (SWS2 and RH2) possibly because of their nocturnal lifestyle during the Mesozoic Era. Considering that the loss of cone opsin types causes so-called color blindness in humans (e.g., protanopia), the ability to discriminate color by trichromatic humans could be lower than that in potentially tetrachromatic birds and fish. Behavioral studies using color-blind (cone opsin-knockout) animals would be helpful to address such questions, but it is only recently that the genome-editing technologies have opened up this pathway. Using medaka as a model, we introduced frameshift mutations in SWS2 (SWS2a and/or SWS2b) after detailed characterization of the loci in silico, which unveiled the existence of a GC-AG intron and non-optic expressed-sequence-tags (ESTs) that include SWS2a in part. Transcripts from the mutated SWS2 loci are commonly reduced, suggesting that the SWS2a/b-double mutants could produce, if any, severely truncated (likely dysfunctional) SWS2s in small amounts. The mutants exhibited weakened body color preferences during mate choice. However, the optomotor response (OMR) test under monochromatic light revealed that the mutants had no defect in spectral sensitivity, even at the absorbance maxima (λmax) of SWS2s. Evolutionary diversification of cone opsins has often been discussed in relation to adaptation to dominating light in habitats (i.e., changes in the repertoire or λmax are for increasing sensitivity to the dominating light). However, the present results seem to provide empirical evidence showing that acquiring or losing a type of cone opsin (or changes in λmax) need not substantially affect photopic or mesopic sensitivity. Other points of view, such as color discrimination of species-specific mates/preys/predators against habitat-specific backgrounds, may be necessary to understand why cone opsin repertories are so various among animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nodoka Kanazawa
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Bunkyō, Japan
| | - Mayuko Goto
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Bunkyō, Japan
| | - Yumi Harada
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Bunkyō, Japan
| | - Chiaki Takimoto
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Bunkyō, Japan
| | - Yuuka Sasaki
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Bunkyō, Japan
| | - Tamaki Uchikawa
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Bunkyō, Japan.,National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kamei
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,School of Life Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Japan
| | - Megumi Matsuo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Bunkyō, Japan
| | - Shoji Fukamachi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women's University, Bunkyō, Japan
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20
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Suriyampola PS, Lopez M, Ellsworth BE, Martins EP. Reversibility of Multimodal Shift: Zebrafish Shift to Olfactory Cues When the Visual Environment Changes. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:33-42. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Synopsis
Animals can shift their reliance on different sensory modalities in response to environmental conditions, and knowing the degree to which traits are reversible may help us to predict their chances of survival in a changing environment. Here, using adult zebrafish (Danio rerio), we found that 6 weeks in different light environments alone were sufficient to shift whether fish approached visual or chemical cues first, and that a subsequent reversal of lighting conditions also reversed their sensory preferences. In addition, we measured simple behavioral responses to sensory stimuli presented alone, and found that zebrafish housed in dim light for 6 weeks responded weakly to an optomotor assay, but strongly to an olfactory cue, whereas fish experiencing bright light for 6 weeks responded strongly to the visual optomotor stimulus and weakly in an olfactory assay. Visual and olfactory responses were equally reversible, and shifted to the opposite pattern when we reversed lighting conditions for 6 weeks. In contrast, we did not find a change in activity level, suggesting that changes in multiple sensory modalities can buffer animals from changes in more complex forms of behavior. This reversal of sensory response provides insight into how animals may use sensory shifts to keep up with environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melissa Lopez
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Emília P Martins
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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21
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Abstract
In humans, various genetic defects or age-related diseases, such as diabetic retinopathies, glaucoma, and macular degeneration, cause the death of retinal neurons and profound vision loss. One approach to treating these diseases is to utilize stem and progenitor cells to replace neurons in situ, with the expectation that new neurons will create new synaptic circuits or integrate into existing ones. Reprogramming non-neuronal cells in vivo into stem or progenitor cells is one strategy for replacing lost neurons. Zebrafish have become a valuable model for investigating cellular reprogramming and retinal regeneration. This review summarizes our current knowledge regarding spontaneous reprogramming of Müller glia in zebrafish and compares this knowledge to research efforts directed toward reprogramming Müller glia in mammals. Intensive research using these animal models has revealed shared molecular mechanisms that make Müller glia attractive targets for cellular reprogramming and highlighted the potential for curing degenerative retinal diseases from intrinsic cellular sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Lahne
- Center for Zebrafish Research, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA; , .,Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Mikiko Nagashima
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105, USA; ,
| | - David R Hyde
- Center for Zebrafish Research, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA; , .,Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Peter F Hitchcock
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105, USA; , .,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105, USA
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22
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Analysis of zebrafish cryptochrome 2 and 4 expression in UV cone photoreceptors. Gene Expr Patterns 2020; 35:119100. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2020.119100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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23
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Iribarne M, Hyde DR, Masai I. TNFα Induces Müller Glia to Transition From Non-proliferative Gliosis to a Regenerative Response in Mutant Zebrafish Presenting Chronic Photoreceptor Degeneration. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:296. [PMID: 31998714 PMCID: PMC6962764 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Unlike mammals, zebrafish have the capacity to regenerate neurons in response to damage. Most zebrafish retinal injury models employ acute damage, which is unlike the chronic, gradual damage that occurs in human retinal diseases. Here, we studied the regenerative response in the zebrafish aipl1b mutant, gold rush (gosh). In gosh mutants, both cones and rods degenerate by 3 weeks post-fertilization (wpf). Müller glia do not exhibit a regenerative response by 3 wpf; however, they do present non-proliferative gliosis. Only at 5 wpf, is proliferation of Müller cells and rod precursor cells activated. Rods start to recover at 5 wpf and by 12 wpf they reach a level of recovery comparable to wild type, but cones remain absent in the adult stage. TNFα was detected in degenerating cones at 5–7 wpf and in Müller glia at 7 wpf in gosh mutants. At 5 wpf, proliferating Müller glia express Sox2, followed by Pax6 expression in neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs), confirming that the neuronal regeneration program is activated in gosh mutants after 5 wpf. Although acute light-induced damage did not activate proliferation of Müller glia, TNFα injection caused Müller glia to commence a proliferative response at 3 wpf in gosh mutants. These results suggest that Müller glia transition from non-proliferative gliosis to a regenerative state in gosh mutants, and that ectopic introduction of TNFα promotes this Müller cell transition even at 3 wpf. Thus, zebrafish gosh mutants provide a useful model to investigate mechanisms underlying retinal regeneration in a chronic photoreceptor degeneration model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Iribarne
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States.,Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States.,Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - David R Hyde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States.,Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States.,Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Ichiro Masai
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
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24
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Eastlake K, Wang W, Jayaram H, Murray‐Dunning C, Carr AJF, Ramsden CM, Vugler A, Gore K, Clemo N, Stewart M, Coffey P, Khaw PT, Limb GA. Phenotypic and Functional Characterization of Müller Glia Isolated from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Organoids: Improvement of Retinal Ganglion Cell Function upon Transplantation. Stem Cells Transl Med 2019; 8:775-784. [PMID: 31037833 PMCID: PMC6646702 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.18-0263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness, and there is an ongoing need for new therapies. Recent studies indicate that cell transplantation using Müller glia may be beneficial, but there is a need for novel sources of cells to provide therapeutic benefit. In this study, we have isolated Müller glia from retinal organoids formed by human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in vitro and have shown their ability to partially restore visual function in rats depleted of retinal ganglion cells by NMDA. Based on the present results, we suggest that Müller glia derived from retinal organoids formed by hiPSC may provide an attractive source of cells for human retinal therapies, to prevent and treat vision loss caused by retinal degenerative conditions. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2019;8:775&784.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Eastlake
- NIHR Biomedical Research CentreUCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Weixin Wang
- NIHR Biomedical Research CentreUCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Hari Jayaram
- NIHR Biomedical Research CentreUCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Celia Murray‐Dunning
- NIHR Biomedical Research CentreUCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Amanda J. F. Carr
- NIHR Biomedical Research CentreUCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Conor M. Ramsden
- NIHR Biomedical Research CentreUCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Anthony Vugler
- NIHR Biomedical Research CentreUCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | | | - Mark Stewart
- NIHR Biomedical Research CentreUCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Pete Coffey
- NIHR Biomedical Research CentreUCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Peng T. Khaw
- NIHR Biomedical Research CentreUCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - G. Astrid Limb
- NIHR Biomedical Research CentreUCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
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25
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Lahola-Chomiak AA, Footz T, Nguyen-Phuoc K, Neil GJ, Fan B, Allen KF, Greenfield DS, Parrish RK, Linkroum K, Pasquale LR, Leonhardt RM, Ritch R, Javadiyan S, Craig JE, Allison WT, Lehmann OJ, Walter MA, Wiggs JL. Non-Synonymous variants in premelanosome protein (PMEL) cause ocular pigment dispersion and pigmentary glaucoma. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 28:1298-1311. [PMID: 30561643 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Pigmentary glaucoma (PG) is a common glaucoma subtype that results from release of pigment from the iris, called pigment dispersion syndrome (PDS), and its deposition throughout the anterior chamber of the eye. Although PG has a substantial heritable component, no causative genes have yet been identified. We used whole exome sequencing of two independent pedigrees to identify two premelanosome protein (PMEL) variants associated with heritable PDS/PG. PMEL encodes a key component of the melanosome, the organelle essential for melanin synthesis, storage and transport. Targeted screening of PMEL in three independent cohorts (n = 394) identified seven additional PDS/PG-associated non-synonymous variants. Five of the nine variants exhibited defective processing of the PMEL protein. In addition, analysis of PDS/PG-associated PMEL variants expressed in HeLa cells revealed structural changes to pseudomelanosomes indicating altered amyloid fibril formation in five of the nine variants. Introduction of 11-base pair deletions to the homologous pmela in zebrafish by the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 method caused profound pigmentation defects and enlarged anterior segments in the eye, further supporting PMEL's role in ocular pigmentation and function. Taken together, these data support a model in which missense PMEL variants represent dominant negative mutations that impair the ability of PMEL to form functional amyloid fibrils. While PMEL mutations have previously been shown to cause pigmentation and ocular defects in animals, this research is the first report of mutations in PMEL causing human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tim Footz
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada
| | - Kim Nguyen-Phuoc
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada
| | - Gavin J Neil
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada
| | - Baojian Fan
- Ocular Genomics Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Keri F Allen
- Ocular Genomics Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David S Greenfield
- Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA
| | - Richard K Parrish
- Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Kevin Linkroum
- Ocular Genomics Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Louis R Pasquale
- Ocular Genomics Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ralf M Leonhardt
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Robert Ritch
- Einhorn Clinical Research Center, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shari Javadiyan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jamie E Craig
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - W T Allison
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada
| | - Ordan J Lehmann
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada
| | - Michael A Walter
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada
| | - Janey L Wiggs
- Ocular Genomics Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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26
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DuVal MG, Allison WT. Photoreceptor Progenitors Depend Upon Coordination of gdf6a, thrβ, and tbx2b to Generate Precise Populations of Cone Photoreceptor Subtypes. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2019; 59:6089-6101. [PMID: 30592497 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.18-24461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Replacing cone photoreceptors, the units of the retina necessary for daytime vision, depends upon the successful production of a full variety of new cones from, for example, stem cells. Using genetic experiments in a model organism with high cone diversity, zebrafish, we map the intersecting effects of cone development factors gdf6a, tbx2b, and thrβ. Methods We investigated these genes of interest by using genetic combinations of mutants, gene knockdown, and dominant negative gene expression, and then quantified cone subtype outcomes (which normally develop in tightly regulated ratios). Results Gdf6a mutants have reduced blue cones and, discovered here, reduced red cones. In combined gdf6a/tbx2b disruption, the loss of gdf6a in heterozygous tbx2b mutants reduced UV cones. Intriguingly, when we disrupted thrβ in gdf6a mutants by using a thrβ morpholino, their combined early disruption revealed a lamination phenotype. Disrupting thrβ activity via expression of a dominant negative thrβ (dnthrβ) at either early or late retinal development had differential outcomes on red cones (reduced abundance), versus UV and blue cones (increased abundance). By using dnthrβ in gdf6a mutants, we revealed that disrupting thrβ activity did not change gdf6a mutant cone phenotypes. Conclusions Gdf6a loss directly affects blue and red cones and indirectly affects UV cones by increasing sensitivity to additional disruption, such as reduced tbx2b, resulting in fewer UV cones. The effects of thrβ change through photoreceptor development, first promoting red cones and restricting UV cones, and later restricting UV and blue cones. The effects of gdf6a on UV, blue, and red cone development overlap with, but likely supersede, those of thrβ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michèle G DuVal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - W Ted Allison
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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27
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Meier A, Nelson R, Connaughton VP. Color Processing in Zebrafish Retina. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:327. [PMID: 30337857 PMCID: PMC6178926 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a model organism for vertebrate developmental processes and, through a variety of mutant and transgenic lines, various diseases and their complications. Some of these diseases relate to proper function of the visual system. In the US, the National Eye Institute indicates >140 million people over the age of 40 have some form of visual impairment. The causes of the impairments range from refractive error to cataract, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, plus heritable diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and color vision deficits. Most impairments directly affect the retina, the nervous tissue at the back of the eye. Zebrafish with long or short-wavelength color blindness, altered retinal anatomy due to hyperglycemia, high intraocular pressure, and reduced pigment epithelium are all used, and directly applicable, to study how these symptoms affect visual function. However, many published reports describe only molecular/anatomical/structural changes or behavioral deficits. Recent work in zebrafish has documented physiological responses of the different cell types to colored (spectral) light stimuli, indicating a complex level of information processing and color vision in this species. The purpose of this review article is to consolidate published morphological and physiological data from different cells to describe how zebrafish retina is capable of complex visual processing. This information is compared to findings in other vertebrates and relevance to disorders affecting color processing is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- April Meier
- Zebrafish Ecotoxicology, Neuropharmacology, and Vision Lab, Department of Biology, and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Ralph Nelson
- Neural Circuits Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Victoria P Connaughton
- Zebrafish Ecotoxicology, Neuropharmacology, and Vision Lab, Department of Biology, and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, Washington, DC, United States
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28
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Angueyra JM, Kindt KS. Leveraging Zebrafish to Study Retinal Degenerations. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:110. [PMID: 30283779 PMCID: PMC6156122 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal degenerations are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by death of photoreceptors and progressive loss of vision. Retinal degenerations are a major cause of blindness in developed countries (Bourne et al., 2017; De Bode, 2017) and currently have no cure. In this review, we will briefly review the latest advances in therapies for retinal degenerations, highlighting the current barriers to study and develop therapies that promote photoreceptor regeneration in mammals. In light of these barriers, we present zebrafish as a powerful model to study photoreceptor regeneration and their integration into retinal circuits after regeneration. We outline why zebrafish is well suited for these analyses and summarize the powerful tools available in zebrafish that could be used to further uncover the mechanisms underlying photoreceptor regeneration and rewiring. In particular, we highlight that it is critical to understand how rewiring occurs after regeneration and how it differs from development. Insights derived from photoreceptor regeneration and rewiring in zebrafish may provide leverage to develop therapeutic targets to treat retinal degenerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M. Angueyra
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Katie S. Kindt
- Section on Sensory Cell Development and Function, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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29
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Crespo C, Soroldoni D, Knust E. A novel transgenic zebrafish line for red opsin expression in outer segments of photoreceptor cells. Dev Dyn 2018; 247:951-959. [PMID: 29603474 PMCID: PMC6099204 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opsins are a group of light-sensitive proteins present in photoreceptor cells, which convert the energy of photons into electrochemical signals, thus allowing vision. Given their relevance, we aimed to visualize the two red opsins at subcellular scale in photoreceptor cells. RESULTS We generated a novel Zebrafish BAC transgenic line, which express fluorescently tagged, full-length Opsin 1 long-wave-sensitive 1 (Opn1lw1) and full-length Opsin 1 long-wave-sensitive 2 (Opn1lw2) under the control of their endogenous promoters. Both fusion proteins are localized in the outer segments of photoreceptor cells. During development, Opn1lw2-mKate2 is detected from the initial formation of outer segments onward. In contrast, Opn1lw1-mNeonGreen is first detected in juvenile Zebrafish at about 2 weeks postfertilization, and both opsins continue to be expressed throughout adulthood. It is important to note that the presence of the transgene did not significantly alter the size of outer segments. CONCLUSIONS We have generated a transgenic line that mimics the endogenous expression pattern of Opn1lw1 and Opn1lw2 in the developing and adult retina. In contrast to existing lines, our transgene design allows to follow protein localization. Hence, we expect that these lines could act as useful real-time reporters to directly measure phenomena in retinal development and disease models. Developmental Dynamics 247:951-959, 2018. © 2018 The Authors Developmental Dynamics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Anatomists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia Crespo
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Elisabeth Knust
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
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30
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Noel NCL, Allison WT. Connectivity of cone photoreceptor telodendria in the zebrafish retina. J Comp Neurol 2017; 526:609-625. [PMID: 29127712 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The connectivity amongst photoreceptors is critical to their function, as it underpins lateral inhibition and effective translation of stimuli into neural signals. Despite much work characterizing second-order interneurons in the outer retina, the synapses directly connecting photoreceptors have often been overlooked. Telodendria are fine processes that connect photoreceptor pedicles. They have been observed in diverse vertebrate groups, yet their roles in vision remain speculative. Here, we visualize telodendria via fluorescent protein expression in photoreceptor subtypes. We characterized short wavelength cone telodendria in adult and larval zebrafish retina. Additionally, in the larval retina, we investigated rod telodendria and UV cone telodendria in mutant and transgenic retinas with altered complements of cone types. In the adult retina, telodendria are twice as abundant and branch almost twice as often on blue cones compared to UV cones. Pedicles of neighboring UV and blue cones typically converge into contiguous pairs, despite the regular spacing of their cell bodies. In contrast to adults, larval UV cone telodendria are more numerous (1.3 times) than blue cone telodendria. UV cone telodendria are not detectably affected by ablation of blue cones, and are reduced twofold in mutant larval retina with few UV cones. We thus saw no evidence that telodendria increase in number in the absence of their typical cellular neighbors. We also found that larval rod telodendria are less abundant than short wavelength cone telodendria. In summary, we describe the development and morphology of zebrafish photoreceptor synaptic connectivity toward appreciating the function of telodendria in visual signal processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C L Noel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - W Ted Allison
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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31
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Thorn RJ, Clift DE, Ojo O, Colwill RM, Creton R. The loss and recovery of vertebrate vision examined in microplates. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183414. [PMID: 28817700 PMCID: PMC5560659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Regenerative medicine offers potentially ground-breaking treatments of blindness and low vision. However, as new methodologies are developed, a critical question will need to be addressed: how do we monitor in vivo for functional success? In the present study, we developed novel behavioral assays to examine vision in a vertebrate model system. In the assays, zebrafish larvae are imaged in multiwell or multilane plates while various red, green, blue, yellow or cyan objects are presented to the larvae on a computer screen. The assays were used to examine a loss of vision at 4 or 5 days post-fertilization and a gradual recovery of vision in subsequent days. The developed assays are the first to measure the loss and recovery of vertebrate vision in microplates and provide an efficient platform to evaluate novel treatments of visual impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Thorn
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Danielle E. Clift
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Oladele Ojo
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Ruth M. Colwill
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Robbert Creton
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
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32
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Burton CE, Zhou Y, Bai Q, Burton EA. Spectral properties of the zebrafish visual motor response. Neurosci Lett 2017; 646:62-67. [PMID: 28267562 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Larval zebrafish react to changes in ambient illumination with a series of stereotyped motor responses, called the visual motor response (VMR). The VMR has been used widely in zebrafish models to analyze how genetic or environmental manipulations alter neurological function. Prior studies elicited the VMR using white light. In order to elucidate the underlying afferent pathways and to identify light wavelengths that elicit the VMR without also activating optogenetic reagents, we employed calibrated narrow-waveband light sources to analyze the spectral properties of the response. Narrow light wavebands with peaks between 399nm and 632nm triggered the characteristic phases of the VMR, but there were quantitative differences between responses to different light wavelengths at the same irradiant flux density. The O-bend component of the VMR was elicited readily at dark onset following illumination in 399nm or 458nm light, but was less prominent at the transition from 632nm light to dark. Conversely, stable motor activity in light was observed at 458nm, 514nm, and 632nm, but not at 399nm. The differential effect of discrete light wavebands on components of the VMR suggests they are driven by distinct photoreceptor populations. Furthermore, these data enable the selection of light wavebands to drive the VMR in a separate channel to the activation of optogenetic reagents and photosensitizers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yangzhong Zhou
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Tsinghua University Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Bai
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Edward A Burton
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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33
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DuVal MG, Allison WT. Impacts of the retinal environment and photoreceptor type on functional regeneration. Neural Regen Res 2017; 12:376-379. [PMID: 28469643 PMCID: PMC5399706 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.202930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal regeneration is a promising central nervous system (CNS) target amongst the various stem cell therapy pursuits, due to its accessibility for manipulation and its disposition towards longitudinal monitoring of treatment safety and efficacy. We offer our perspective on current hurdles towards functional regeneration of cone photoreceptors. Cones are key: For patients suffering vision loss, cone photoreceptors are a required cellular component to restoring daytime vision, colour vision, and high acuity vision. The challenges of regenerating cones contrast with logistic challenges of regenerating rod photoreceptors, which underlines the importance of evaluating context in degeneration and regeneration studies. Foundational research is required to delineate the factors required to generate a diversity of cones in the human macula, and to coax both remaining and newly regenerating cones to rewire towards restoring daytime colour vision. A complex interplay between cell-intrinsic factors and the retinal environment determine both the specification of cone fates and the synaptic plasticity enabling their functional integration. Recent revelations that cellular materials are transferred amongst photoreceptor progenitors further emphasize the critical role of neighbouring cells in directing stem cell fates. From our vantage point, translation of stem cell therapies to restore the cone-rich human macula must be borne upon foundational research in cone-rich retinas. Research frameworks centered on patient outcomes should prioritize animal models and functional outputs that enable and report functional restoration of cone-mediated vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michèle G DuVal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - W Ted Allison
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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