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Wang Y, Peng H, Yu H. Bixafen causes hepatotoxicity and pancreas toxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio). ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 32:837-844. [PMID: 37597064 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02687-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Bixafen (BIX), a widely used succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) in agricultural disease control, has garnered significant attention due to its known hazardous effects on aquatic organisms. In this study, we exposed zebrafish embryos to 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 μM BIX, to explore the impact of BIX on liver and pancreas. The results showed that BIX caused deformities and dysfunction in zebrafish embryos, including spinal curvature, pericardial edema, heart rate decrease, and hatching delay. Moreover, BIX significantly affected the development of the liver and pancreas in zebrafish and downregulated zebrafish fabp10a gene expression. Overall, this study presents strong evidence for BIX's potential toxicity to zebrafish liver and pancreas. The results may provide new insights into the evaluation of BIX'S impact on aquatic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yini Wang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
| | - Huihan Peng
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
| | - Hailing Yu
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China.
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2
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Zaman T, Fahad TM, Rana M, Hossain MS, Mamun A, Haque MA, Sarker A, Islam MS, Haque MMUL, Naz T, Manik MIN, Ali H, Yamasu K, Khan A. Endosulfan affects embryonic development synergistically under elevated ambient temperature. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-27665-z. [PMID: 37188935 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27665-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we determined the developmental toxicity of endosulfan at an elevated ambient temperature using the zebrafish animal model. Zebrafish embryos of various developmental stages were exposed to endosulfan through E3 medium, raised under two selected temperature conditions (28.5 °C and an elevated temperature of 35 °C), and monitored under the microscope. Zebrafish embryos of very early developmental stages (cellular cleavage stages, such as the 64-cell stage) were highly sensitive to the elevated temperature as 37.5% died and 47.5% developed into amorphous type, while only 15.0% of embryos developed as normal embryos without malformation. Zebrafish embryos that were exposed concurrently to endosulfan and an elevated temperature showed stronger developmental defects (arrested epiboly progress, shortened body length, curved trunk) compared to the embryos exposed to either endosulfan or an elevated temperature. The brain structure of the embryos that concurrently were exposed to the elevated temperature and endosulfan was either incompletely developed or malformed. Furthermore, the stress-implicated genes hsp70, p16, and smp30 regulations were synergistically affected by endosulfan treatment under the elevated thermal condition. Overall, the elevated ambient temperature synergistically enhanced the developmental toxicity of endosulfan in zebrafish embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanjeena Zaman
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
- Rajshahi Institute of Bioscience, Maskatadighi, Motihar, Rajshahi, 6212, Bangladesh
| | | | - Masud Rana
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | | | - Al Mamun
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Anwarul Haque
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Ashananda Sarker
- Department of Pharmacy, Jagannath University, Chittaranjan Avenue, Dhaka, 1100, Bangladesh
| | - Md Shariful Islam
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Minhaz-U L Haque
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia, 7003, Bangladesh
| | - Tarannum Naz
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Imran Nur Manik
- Department of Pharmacy, Northern University Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Hazrat Ali
- Department of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Chittagong, Chittagong, 4318, Bangladesh
| | - Kyo Yamasu
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570, Japan
| | - Alam Khan
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh.
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Cho HJ, Lee WS, Jeong J, Lee JS. A review on the impacts of nanomaterials on neuromodulation and neurological dysfunction using a zebrafish animal model. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2022; 261:109428. [PMID: 35940544 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2022.109428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Nanomaterials have been widely employed from industrial to medical fields due to their small sizes and versatile characteristics. However, nanomaterials can also induce unexpected adverse effects on health. In particular, exposure of the nervous system to nanomaterials can cause serious neurological dysfunctions and neurodegenerative diseases. A number of studies have adopted various animal models to evaluate the neurotoxic effects of nanomaterials. Among them, zebrafish has become an attractive animal model for neurotoxicological studies due to several advantages, including the well-characterized nervous system, efficient genome editing, convenient generation of transgenic lines, high-resolution in vivo imaging, and an array of behavioral assays. In this review, we summarize recent studies on the neurotoxicological effects of nanomaterials, particularly engineered nanomaterials and nanoplastics, using zebrafish and discuss key findings with advantages and limitations of the zebrafish model in neurotoxicological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Ju Cho
- Microbiome Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Wang Sik Lee
- Environmental Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinyoung Jeong
- Environmental Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; KRIBB School, University of Science and Technology, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jeong-Soo Lee
- Microbiome Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; KRIBB School, University of Science and Technology, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
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4
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Sebo DJ, Fetsko AR, Phipps KK, Taylor MR. Functional identification of the zebrafish Interleukin-1 receptor in an embryonic model of Il-1β-induced systemic inflammation. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1039161. [PMID: 36389773 PMCID: PMC9643328 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1039161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a potent proinflammatory cytokine that plays a vital role in the innate immune system. To observe the innate immune response in vivo, several transgenic zebrafish lines have been developed to model IL-1β-induced inflammation and to visualize immune cell migration and proliferation in real time. However, our understanding of the IL-1β response in zebrafish is limited due to an incomplete genome annotation and a lack of functional data for the cytokine receptors involved in the inflammatory process. Here, we use a combination of database mining, genetic analyses, and functional assays to identify zebrafish Interleukin-1 receptor, type 1 (Il1r1). We identified putative zebrafish il1r1 candidate genes that encode proteins with predicted structures similar to human IL1R1. To examine functionality of these candidates, we designed highly effective morpholinos to disrupt gene expression in a zebrafish model of embryonic Il-1β-induced systemic inflammation. In this double transgenic model, ubb:Gal4-EcR, uas:il1βmat , the zebrafish ubiquitin b (ubb) promoter drives expression of the modified Gal4 transcription factor fused to the ecdysone receptor (EcR), which in turn drives the tightly-regulated expression and secretion of mature Il-1β only in the presence of the ecdysone analog tebufenozide (Teb). Application of Teb to ubb:Gal4-EcR, uas:il1βmat embryos causes premature death, fin degradation, substantial neutrophil expansion, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To rescue these deleterious phenotypes, we injected ubb:Gal4-EcR, uas:il1βmat embryos with putative il1r1 morpholinos and found that knockdown of only one candidate gene prevented the adverse effects caused by Il-1β. Mosaic knockout of il1r1 using the CRISPR/Cas9 system phenocopied these results. Taken together, our study identifies the functional zebrafish Il1r1 utilizing a genetic model of Il-1β-induced inflammation and provides valuable new insights to study inflammatory conditions specifically driven by Il-1β or related to Il1r1 function in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan J. Sebo
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Audrey R. Fetsko
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Kallie K. Phipps
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Program, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Michael R. Taylor
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Program, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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Comparative in situ hybridization protocols in zebrafish. Biotechniques 2022; 73:123-130. [PMID: 36065907 PMCID: PMC9490454 DOI: 10.2144/btn-2022-0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In situ hybridization is a commonly used technique in molecular biology to assess the temporal and spatial expression of a given gene. As a long and labor-intensive protocol, double in situ hybridization, which detects two genes in series, is challenging and can require a lot of troubleshooting. Optional additives, polyvinyl alcohol and dextran sulfate, were tested in a standard in situ hybridization protocol and several colorimetric stain pairings using double in situ hybridization in zebrafish embryos. Optional additives can improve staining time and reduce nonspecific background. Nitro-blue tetrazolium chloride/5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate (BCIP) + Fast Red/BCIP was the most effective stain pairing. As a proof-of-concept, this work shows that Cabin1 and atoh1b are expressed in distinct regions of the developing zebrafish brain. A comparison of colorimetric stains and protocols in double in situ hybridization in whole-mount zebrafish embryos.
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Heredia-García G, Gómez-Oliván LM, Elizalde-Velázquez GA, Cardoso-Vera JD, Orozco-Hernández JM, Rosales-Pérez KE, García-Medina S, Islas-Flores H, Galar-Martínez M, Dublán-García O. Multi-biomarker approach and IBR index to evaluate the effects of bisphenol A on embryonic stages of zebrafish (Danio rerio). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2022; 94:103925. [PMID: 35835282 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2022.103925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study assessed the effects of Bisphenol A in embryonic stages of zebrafish, applying an IBR multi-biomarker approach that included alterations in growth and oxidative status and relates it with the expression of Nrf1, Nrf2, Wnt3a, Wnt8a, COX-2, Qdpra, and DKK1 genes. For this purpose, we exposed zebrafish embryos to eight environmentally relevant concentrations of BPA (220, 380, 540, 700, 860, 1180, 1340, and 1500 ng L-1) until 96 h post-fertilization. Our results show that BPA induces several malformations in embryos (developmental delay, hypopigmentation, tail malformations, and on), leading to their death. The LC50, EC50 of malformations, and teratogenic index (TI) were 1234.60 ng L-1, 987.77 ng L-1, and 1.25, respectively; thus, this emerging contaminant is teratogenic. Regarding oxidative stress and gene expression, we demonstrated BPA altered oxidative status and the gene expression in embryos of Danio rerio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Heredia-García
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Leobardo Manuel Gómez-Oliván
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico.
| | - Gustavo Axel Elizalde-Velázquez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Jesús Daniel Cardoso-Vera
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - José Manuel Orozco-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Karina Elisa Rosales-Pérez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Sandra García-Medina
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Acuática, Departamento de Farmacia, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Av. Wilfrido Massieu s/n y cerrada Manuel Stampa, Col. Industrial Vallejo, 07700 Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Hariz Islas-Flores
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Marcela Galar-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Acuática, Departamento de Farmacia, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Av. Wilfrido Massieu s/n y cerrada Manuel Stampa, Col. Industrial Vallejo, 07700 Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Octavio Dublán-García
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
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Seni-Silva AC, Maleski ALA, Souza MM, Falcao MAP, Disner GR, Lopes-Ferreira M, Lima C. Natterin-like depletion by CRISPR/Cas9 impairs zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryonic development. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:123. [PMID: 35151271 PMCID: PMC8840632 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08369-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Natterin protein family was first discovered in the venom of the medically significant fish Thalassophryne nattereri, and over the last decade natterin-like genes have been identified in various organisms, notably performing immune-related functions. Previous findings support natterin-like genes as effector defense molecules able to activate multiprotein complexes driving the host innate immune response, notably due to the pore-forming function of the aerolysin superfamily members. Herein, employing a combination of the CRISPR/Cas9 depletion system, phenotype-based screening, and morphometric methods, we evaluated the role of one family member, LOC795232, in the embryonic development of zebrafish since it might be implicated in multiple roles and characterization of the null mutant is central for analysis of gene activity. Results Multiple sequence alignment revealed that the candidate natterin-like has the highest similarity to zebrafish aep1, a putative and better characterized fish-specific defense molecule from the same family. Compared to other species, zebrafish have many natterin-like copies. Whole-mount in situ hybridization confirmed the knockout and mutant embryos exhibited epiboly delay, growth retardation, yolk sac and heart edema, absent or diminished swim bladder, spinal defects, small eyes and head, heart dysfunction, and behavioral impairment. As previously demonstrated, ribonucleoproteins composed of Cas9 and duplex guide RNAs are effective at inducing mutations in the F0 zebrafish. Conclusions The considerably high natterin-like copies in zebrafish compared to other species might be due to the teleost-specific whole genome duplication and followed by subfunctionalization or neofunctionalization. In the present work, we described some of the natterin-like features in the zebrafish development and infer that natterin-like proteins potentially contribute to the embryonary development and immune response. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08369-z. The Natterin family was discovered in the venom of the fish Thalassophryne nattereri. The zebrafish genome encodes eleven natterin-like genes. Natterin-like might be a novel fish-specific defense molecule. Natterin-like proteins are thought to be pore-forming molecules. Reverse genetic study and phenotypic characterization suggests natterin-like genes may have roles in zebrafish development.
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Mech AM, Merteroglu M, Sealy IM, Teh MT, White RJ, Havelange W, Brennan CH, Busch-Nentwich EM. Behavioral and Gene Regulatory Responses to Developmental Drug Exposures in Zebrafish. Front Psychiatry 2022; 12:795175. [PMID: 35082702 PMCID: PMC8785235 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.795175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental consequences of prenatal drug exposure have been reported in many human cohorts and animal studies. The long-lasting impact on the offspring-including motor and cognitive impairments, cranial and cardiac anomalies and increased prevalence of ADHD-is a socioeconomic burden worldwide. Identifying the molecular changes leading to developmental consequences could help ameliorate the deficits and limit the impact. In this study, we have used zebrafish, a well-established behavioral and genetic model with conserved drug response and reward pathways, to identify changes in behavior and cellular pathways in response to developmental exposure to amphetamine, nicotine or oxycodone. In the presence of the drug, exposed animals showed altered behavior, consistent with effects seen in mammalian systems, including impaired locomotion and altered habituation to acoustic startle. Differences in responses seen following acute and chronic exposure suggest adaptation to the presence of the drug. Transcriptomic analysis of exposed larvae revealed differential expression of numerous genes and alterations in many pathways, including those related to cell death, immunity and circadian rhythm regulation. Differential expression of circadian rhythm genes did not correlate with behavioral changes in the larvae, however, two of the circadian genes, arntl2 and per2, were also differentially expressed at later stages of development, suggesting a long-lasting impact of developmental exposures on circadian gene expression. The immediate-early genes, egr1, egr4, fosab, and junbb, which are associated with synaptic plasticity, were downregulated by all three drugs and in situ hybridization showed that the expression for all four genes was reduced across all neuroanatomical regions, including brain regions implicated in reward processing, addiction and other psychiatric conditions. We anticipate that these early changes in gene expression in response to drug exposure are likely to contribute to the consequences of prenatal exposure and their discovery might pave the way to therapeutic intervention to ameliorate the long-lasting deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra M. Mech
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Munise Merteroglu
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ian M. Sealy
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Muy-Teck Teh
- Centre for Oral Immunobiology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, England, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J. White
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - William Havelange
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline H. Brennan
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabeth M. Busch-Nentwich
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Structural Analysis and Spatiotemporal Expression of Atxn1 Genes in Zebrafish Embryos and Larvae. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111348. [PMID: 34768779 PMCID: PMC8583371 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish have come into focus to model cerebellar diseases such as spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs), which is caused by an expansion of translated CAG repeats in several unrelated genes. In spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), gain-of-function in the mutant ATXN1 contributes to SCA1’s neuropathy. Human ATXN1 and its paralog ATXN1L are chromatin-binding factors, act as transcriptional repressors, and have similar expression patterns. However, little is known about atxn1 genes in zebrafish. Recently, two family members, atxn1a and atxn1b, were identified as duplicate orthologs of ATXN1, as was atxn1l, the ortholog of ATXN1L. In this study, we analyzed the phylogenetic relationship of the atxn1 family members in zebrafish, compared their genetic structures, and verified the predicted transcripts by both RT-PCR and whole-mount in situ hybridization. All three genes, atxn1a, atxn1b, and atxn1l, show overlapping, but also distinct, expression domains during embryonic and larval development. While atxn1a and atxn1l display similar spatiotemporal embryonic expression, atxn1b expression is initiated during the onset of brain development and is predominantly expressed in the cerebellum throughout zebrafish development. These results provide new insights into atxn1 genes and their expression patterns in zebrafish during embryonic and late-larval development and may contribute importantly to future experiments in disease modeling of SCAs.
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Disner GR, Falcão MAP, Lima C, Lopes-Ferreira M. In Silico Target Prediction of Overexpressed microRNAs from LPS-Challenged Zebrafish ( Danio rerio) Treated with the Novel Anti-Inflammatory Peptide TnP. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7117. [PMID: 34281170 PMCID: PMC8268205 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137117] [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: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
miRNAs regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally in various processes, e.g., immunity, development, and diseases. Since their experimental analysis is complex, in silico target prediction is important for directing investigations. TnP is a candidate peptide for anti-inflammatory therapy, first discovered in the venom of Thalassophryne nattereri, which led to miRNAs overexpression in LPS-inflamed zebrafish post-treatment. This work aimed to predict miR-21, miR-122, miR-731, and miR-26 targets using overlapped results of DIANA microT-CDS and TargetScanFish software. This study described 513 miRNAs targets using highly specific thresholds. Using Gene Ontology over-representation analysis, we identified their main roles in regulating gene expression, neurogenesis, DNA-binding, transcription regulation, immune system process, and inflammatory response. miRNAs act in post-transcriptional regulation, but we revealed that their targets are strongly related to expression regulation at the transcriptional level, e.g., transcription factors proteins. A few predicted genes participated concomitantly in many biological processes and molecular functions, such as foxo3a, rbpjb, rxrbb, tyrobp, hes6, zic5, smad1, e2f7, and npas4a. Others were particularly involved in innate immunity regulation: il17a/f2, pik3r3b, and nlrc6. Together, these findings not only provide new insights into the miRNAs mode of action but also raise hope for TnP therapy and may direct future experimental investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Monica Lopes-Ferreira
- Immunoregulation Unit of the Laboratory of Applied Toxinology (CeTICS/FAPESP), Butantan Institute, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (G.R.D.); (M.A.P.F.); (C.L.)
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