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Hasan A, Macias JJ, Wood B, Malone-Perez M, Park G, Foster CA, Frazer JK. Dynamic Changes in Lymphocyte Populations Establish Zebrafish as a Thymic Involution Model. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:1733-1743. [PMID: 38656392 PMCID: PMC11163880 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The thymus is the site of T lymphocyte development and T cell education to recognize foreign, but not self, Ags. B cells also reside and develop in the thymus, although their functions are less clear. During "thymic involution," a process of lymphoid atrophy and adipose replacement linked to sexual maturation, thymocytes decline. However, thymic B cells decrease far less than T cells, such that B cells comprise ∼1% of human neonatal thymocytes but up to ∼10% in adults. All jawed vertebrates possess a thymus, and we and others have shown zebrafish (Danio rerio) also have thymic B cells. In this article, we investigated the precise identities of zebrafish thymic T and B cells and how they change with involution. We assessed the timing and specific details of zebrafish thymic involution using multiple lymphocyte-specific, fluorophore-labeled transgenic lines, quantifying the changes in thymic T- and B-lymphocytes pre- versus postinvolution. Our results prove that, as in humans, zebrafish thymic B cells increase relative to T cells postinvolution. We also performed RNA sequencing on D. rerio thymic and marrow lymphocytes of four novel double-transgenic lines, identifying distinct populations of immature T and B cells. Collectively, this is, to our knowledge, the first comprehensive analysis of zebrafish thymic involution, demonstrating its similarity to human involution and establishing the highly genetically manipulatable zebrafish model as a template for involution studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameera Hasan
- Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Jose J. Macias
- Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Brashé Wood
- Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, and University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Megan Malone-Perez
- Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, and University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Gilseung Park
- Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Clay A. Foster
- Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, and University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - J. Kimble Frazer
- Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, and University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
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Hasan A, Macias JJ, Wood B, Malone-Perez M, Park G, Foster CA, Frazer JK. Dynamic Changes in Lymphocyte Populations Establish Zebrafish as a Thymic Involution Model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.25.550519. [PMID: 37546788 PMCID: PMC10402004 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.25.550519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The thymus is the site of T lymphocyte development and T cell education to recognize foreign, but not self, antigens. B cells also reside and develop in the thymus, although their functions are less clear. During 'thymic involution,' a process of lymphoid atrophy and adipose replacement linked to sexual maturation, thymocytes decline. However, thymic B cells decrease far less than T cells, such that B cells comprise ~1% of human neonatal thymocytes, but up to ~10% in adults. All jawed vertebrates possess a thymus, and we and others have shown zebrafish (Danio rerio) also have thymic B cells. Here, we investigated the precise identities of zebrafish thymic T and B cells and how they change with involution. We assessed the timing and specific details of zebrafish thymic involution using multiple lymphocyte-specific, fluorophore-labeled transgenic lines, quantifying the changes in thymic T- and B-lymphocytes pre- vs. post-involution. Our results prove that, as in humans, zebrafish thymic B cells increase relative to T cells post-involution. We also performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on D. rerio thymic and marrow lymphocytes of four novel double-transgenic lines, identifying distinct populations of immature T and B cells. Collectively, this is the first comprehensive analysis of zebrafish thymic involution, demonstrating its similarity to human involution, and establishing the highly genetically-manipulatable zebrafish model as a template for involution studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameera Hasan
- Depts. of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Jose J. Macias
- Depts. of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Brashé Wood
- Depts. of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Megan Malone-Perez
- Depts. of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Gilseung Park
- Depts. of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Clay A. Foster
- Depts. of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - J. Kimble Frazer
- Depts. of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Depts. of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Depts. of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
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Amanda S, Tan TK, Ong JZL, Theardy MS, Wong RWJ, Huang XZ, Ali MZ, Li Y, Gong Z, Inagaki H, Foo EY, Pang B, Tan SY, Iida S, Sanda T. IRF4 drives clonal evolution and lineage choice in a zebrafish model of T-cell lymphoma. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2420. [PMID: 35504924 PMCID: PMC9065160 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30053-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
IRF4 is a master regulator of immunity and is also frequently overexpressed in mature lymphoid neoplasms. Here, we demonstrate the oncogenicity of IRF4 in vivo, its potential effects on T-cell development and clonal evolution using a zebrafish model. IRF4-transgenic zebrafish develop aggressive tumors with massive infiltration of abnormal lymphocytes that spread to distal organs. Many late-stage tumors are mono- or oligoclonal, and tumor cells can expand in recipient animals after transplantation, demonstrating their malignancy. Mutation of p53 accelerates tumor onset, increases penetrance, and results in tumor heterogeneity. Surprisingly, single-cell RNA-sequencing reveals that the majority of tumor cells are double-negative T-cells, many of which express tcr-γ that became dominant as the tumors progress, whereas double-positive T-cells are largely diminished. Gene expression and epigenetic profiling demonstrates that gata3, mycb, lrrn1, patl1 and psip1 are specifically activated in tumors, while genes responsible for T-cell differentiation including id3 are repressed. IRF4-driven tumors are sensitive to the BRD inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Amanda
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tze King Tan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jolynn Zu Lin Ong
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Regina Wan Ju Wong
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiao Zi Huang
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Muhammad Zulfaqar Ali
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhiyuan Gong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hiroshi Inagaki
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, 467-8601, Japan
| | - Ee Yong Foo
- Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Brendan Pang
- Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Soo Yong Tan
- Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shinsuke Iida
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Aichi, 467-8601, Japan
| | - Takaomi Sanda
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore. .,Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore.
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Molina B, Chavez J, Grainger S. Zebrafish models of acute leukemias: Current models and future directions. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2021; 10:e400. [PMID: 33340278 PMCID: PMC8213871 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemias (AML) and acute lymphoid leukemias (ALL) are heterogenous diseases encompassing a wide array of genetic mutations with both loss and gain of function phenotypes. Ultimately, these both result in the clonal overgrowth of blast cells in the bone marrow, peripheral blood, and other tissues. As a consequence of this, normal hematopoietic stem cell function is severely hampered. Technologies allowing for the early detection of genetic alterations and understanding of these varied molecular pathologies have helped to advance our treatment regimens toward personalized targeted therapies. In spite of this, both AML and ALL continue to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, in part because molecular therapies for the plethora of genetic abnormalities have not been developed. This underscores the current need for better model systems for therapy development. This article reviews the current zebrafish models of AML and ALL and discusses how novel gene editing tools can be implemented to generate better models of acute leukemias. This article is categorized under: Adult Stem Cells, Tissue Renewal, and Regeneration > Stem Cells and Disease Technologies > Perturbing Genes and Generating Modified Animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Molina
- Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jasmine Chavez
- Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Stephanie Grainger
- Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
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Patton EE, Zon LI, Langenau DM. Zebrafish disease models in drug discovery: from preclinical modelling to clinical trials. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2021; 20:611-628. [PMID: 34117457 PMCID: PMC9210578 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-021-00210-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Numerous drug treatments that have recently entered the clinic or clinical trials have their genesis in zebrafish. Zebrafish are well established for their contribution to developmental biology and have now emerged as a powerful preclinical model for human disease, as their disease characteristics, aetiology and progression, and molecular mechanisms are clinically relevant and highly conserved. Zebrafish respond to small molecules and drug treatments at physiologically relevant dose ranges and, when combined with cell-specific or tissue-specific reporters and gene editing technologies, drug activity can be studied at single-cell resolution within the complexity of a whole animal, across tissues and over an extended timescale. These features enable high-throughput and high-content phenotypic drug screening, repurposing of available drugs for personalized and compassionate use, and even the development of new drug classes. Often, drugs and drug leads explored in zebrafish have an inter-organ mechanism of action and would otherwise not be identified through targeted screening approaches. Here, we discuss how zebrafish is an important model for drug discovery, the process of how these discoveries emerge and future opportunities for maximizing zebrafish potential in medical discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Elizabeth Patton
- MRC Human Genetics Unit and Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Cancer, Western General Hospital Campus, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Leonard I Zon
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - David M Langenau
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center of Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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Raby L, Völkel P, Le Bourhis X, Angrand PO. Genetic Engineering of Zebrafish in Cancer Research. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12082168. [PMID: 32759814 PMCID: PMC7464884 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an excellent model to study a wide diversity of human cancers. In this review, we provide an overview of the genetic and reverse genetic toolbox allowing the generation of zebrafish lines that develop tumors. The large spectrum of genetic tools enables the engineering of zebrafish lines harboring precise genetic alterations found in human patients, the generation of zebrafish carrying somatic or germline inheritable mutations or zebrafish showing conditional expression of the oncogenic mutations. Comparative transcriptomics demonstrate that many of the zebrafish tumors share molecular signatures similar to those found in human cancers. Thus, zebrafish cancer models provide a unique in vivo platform to investigate cancer initiation and progression at the molecular and cellular levels, to identify novel genes involved in tumorigenesis as well as to contemplate new therapeutic strategies.
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