OBJECTIVE: : To observe the expression of gene in the early development stage of wild zebrafish embryos. METHODS: : The collinearity of gene and the sequence similarity of G6pd protein were analyzed with gene database and BLAST software, respectively. Expression of gene in different development stages of zebrafish embryos was detected by hybridization. The -EGFP-pCS recombinant plasmids were microinjected into zebrafish embryos, and fluorescence was observed under a fluorescence microscope. The expression of G6pd protein at 24, 48 and 72 hour post fertilization (hpf) zebrafish embryos was detected by Western blotting; the enzyme activity of G6pd at 24, 48 and 72 hpf zebrafish embryos was detected by modified G6pd quantitative ratio method. RESULTS: : The G6pd protein similarity of zebrafish and human was 88%, and that of zebrafish and mouse was 87%. The results of hybridization showed that the gene was mainly expressed in the hematopoietic tissues of zebrafish; the results observed after microinjection of -EGFP-pCS recombinant plasmid were consistent with the results of hybridization. At 24, 48 and 72 hpf, the relative expression levels of G6pd protein in zebrafish embryos were 1.44±0.03, 1.47±0.05, and 1.54±0.02, respectively(>0.05); the G6pd enzyme activity levels were 1.74±0.17, 1.75±0.12, 1.71±0.22, respectively (>0.05). CONCLUSIONS : The study has observed the expression of gene and G6pd protein, and G6pd enzyme activity in zebrafish embryos at different development phases, which provides a reference for the establishment of a zebrafish G6PD deficiency model.
Animals ; Embryo, Nonmammalian ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase ; genetics ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Mice ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Zebrafish ; embryology ; genetics

Angiogenesis is a crucial process in the development of inflammatory diseases, including cancer, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Recently, several alkaloids from Picrasma quassioides had been screened for angiogenic activity in the zebrafish model, and the results indicated that 1-methoxycarbony-β-carboline (MCC) could effectively inhibit blood vessel formation. In this study, we further confirmed that MCC can inhibit, in a concentration-dependent manner, the viability, migration, invasion, and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro, as well as the regenerative vascular outgrowth of zebrafish caudal fin in vivo. In the zebrafish xenograft assay, MCC inhibited the growth of tumor masses and the metastatic transplanted DU145 tumor cells. The proteome profile array of the MCC-treated HUVECs showed that MCC could down-regulate several angiogenesis-related self-secreted proteins, including ANG, EGF, bFGF, GRO, IGF-1, PLG and MMP-1. In addition, the expression of two key membrane receptor proteins in angiogenesis, TIE-2 and uPAR, were also down-regulated after MCC treatment. Taken together, these results shed light on the potential therapeutic application of MCC as a potent natural angiogenesis inhibitor via multiple molecular targets.
Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Carbolines ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fibroblast Growth Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; genetics ; metabolism ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Picrasma ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Receptor, TIE-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Zebrafish ; embryology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the mechanism of retinoic acid (RA) signal in dental evolution, RA is used to explore the influence of the mechanism on neural crest's migration during the early stage of zebra fish embryos.

METHODSWe divided embryos of wild type and transgenic line zebra fish into three groups. 1 x 10(-7) to 6 x 10(-7) mol x L(-1) RA and 1 x 10(-7) mo x L(-1) 4-diethylaminobenzaldehyde (DEAB) were added into egg water at 24 hpf for 9 h. Dimethyl sulfoxid (DMSO) with the concentration was used as control group. Then, antisense probes of dlx2a, dlx2b, and barxl were formulated to perform whole-mount in situ hybridization to check the expressions of the genes in 48 hpf to 72 hpf embryos. We observed fluorescence of transgenic line in 4 dpf embryos.

RESULTSWe obtained three mRNA probes successfully. Compared with DMSO control group, a low concentration (1 x 10(-7) mol x L(-1)) of RA could up-regulate the expression of mRNA (barx1, dlx2a) in neural crest. Obvious migration trend was observed toward the pharyngeal arch in which teeth adhered. Transgenic fish had spreading fluorescence tendency in pharyngeal arch. However, a high concentration (4 x 10(-7) mol x L(-1)) of RA malformed the embryos and killed them after treatment. One third of the embryos of middle concentration (3 x 10(-7) mo x L(-1)) exhibited delayed development. DEAB resulted in neural crest dysplasia. The expression of barxl and dlx2a were suppressed, and the appearance of dlx2b in tooth was delayed.

CONCLUSIONRA signal pathway can regulate the progenitors of tooth by controlling the growth of the neural crest and manipulating tooth development

Animals ; Branchial Region ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Embryo, Nonmammalian ; drug effects ; embryology ; metabolism ; In Situ Hybridization ; Neural Crest ; drug effects ; Odontogenesis ; Signal Transduction ; Tooth ; drug effects ; embryology ; metabolism ; Tretinoin ; pharmacology ; Zebrafish ; embryology ; genetics ; metabolism

To investigate the effect ofgene down-regulation on early hematopoietic development of zebrafish.Phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) technology was used to downregulategene expression in Zebrafish. Zebrafish embryos injected phosphorodiamidate morpholino antisense oligonucleotide ofgene mRNA by microinjection at unicellular stage were taken as the experimental group, and those injected meaningless phosphorodiamidate morpholino antisense oligonucleotide were taken as the control. The embryos were collected at 18, 24, 30 and 36 hpf after the fertilization. The real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and whole embryohybridization methods were used to detect the expression of myeloid hematopoietic transcription factorand erythroid hematopoietic transcription factorin zebrafish.RT-PCR showed that the expressions ofanddecreased in the experimental group compared with the control group (all<0.05). Whole embryohybridization showed that the blue-black positive hybridization signals ofandin experimental group were shallow than those in the control group.Myeloid hematopoietic and erythroid hematopoietic of zebrafish are blocked with the downregulation ofgene.
Animals ; Down-Regulation ; genetics ; Embryo, Nonmammalian ; physiopathology ; GATA1 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Knockdown Techniques ; Hematopoiesis ; In Situ Hybridization ; Lamin Type A ; genetics ; physiology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Trans-Activators ; genetics ; metabolism ; Zebrafish ; embryology ; genetics

AIM: The application of strychnine (S) is limited due to its toxicity; strychnine N-oxide (SNO) is a derivative of strychnine. The aim was to employ zebrafish embryos to investigate and compare the developmental toxicity induced by S and SNO. METHODS: The toxicity of S and SNO was examined through the hatching rate and survival rate. Morphological changes of the zebrafish were observed with a dissecting microscope. Apoptosis was detected through acridine orange (AO) staining and flow cytometry. Apoptotic genes were measured by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Embryo malformation was observed in the embryos exposed to S at 200 μmol·L(-1). When SNO concentration was increased to 1 mmol·L(-1), scoliolosis, and pericardial edema could be seen in some embryos. Results from fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry analysis showed that S at 200 μmol·L(-1) induced apoptosis, whereas the apoptotic rate in the SNO-treated group (200 μmol·L(-1)) was much lower than that in the S group. RT-PCR analysis showed that p53 mRNA expression and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 in the S group were significantly altered compared with the control group (*P < 0.05). Moreover, Bax mRNA expression in both S and SNO group were significantly different from that in the control group (**P < 0.01). CONCLUSION These results lead to the conclusion that SNO has significantly lower toxicity than S in zebrafish embryos.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cyclic N-Oxides ; toxicity ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; toxicity ; Female ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; Strychnine ; analogs & derivatives ; toxicity ; Strychnos ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Zebrafish ; embryology ; genetics ; metabolism ; Zebrafish Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

Animals ; Keratolytic Agents ; pharmacology ; Neural Crest ; embryology ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Tretinoin ; pharmacology ; Zebrafish ; Zebrafish Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

The effect of BHC80 (a component of BRAF-HDAC complex) on development was not well studied, because BHC80 gene knock-out mice died in one day after birth. Interestingly, zebrafish embryos can live, even if their important organs like cardiac system has severe dysfunction, as 25%-40% O2 are supplied through their skin. Therefore, a model of BHC80 gene knock-down zebrafish embryos was established to explore the effect of BHC80 on the early embryonic development. BHC80-morpholino antisense oligonucleotides 2 (BHC80-MO2) was designed and injected into zebrafish embryos to interrupt the correct translation of BHC80 mRNA at one or two cells stage, which was proved by RT-PCR analysis. Two control groups, including non-injection group and control-MO (con-MO) injection group, and four different doses of BHC80-MO2 injection groups, including 4 ng, 6 ng, 8 ng and 10 ng per embryo were set up. The embryonic heart phenotype and cardiac function were monitored, analyzed and compared between con-MO and BHC80-MO2 groups by fluorescence microscope in vmhc:gfp transgenic zebrafish which express green fluorescent protein in ventricle. The results showed that BHC80-MO2 microinjection effectively knocked down the BHC80 gene expression, because the BHC80-MO2 group emerged a new 249 bp band which reduced 51 bp compared to 300 bp band of con-MO group in RT-PCR analysis, and the 51 bp was the extron 10. The abnormal embryo rate rose with the increase of BHC80-MO2 dosage. The proper BHC80-MO2 injection dosage was 8 ng per embryo, as minor embryos had abnormal phenotype in 4 ng and 6 ng per embryo groups and most embryos died in 10 ng per embryo group. BHC80-MO2 embryos exhibited abnormal cardiac phenotype, including imbalance of the proportion of heart ventricle to atrium, incomplete D-loop, even tubular heart, slow heart rates and cardiac dysfunction. The results from a model of BHC80 gene knock-down zebrafish embryos show that the abnormal cardiac phenotype and cardiac dysfunction of BHC80-MO2 embryos may be one of the probable reasons for the BHC80 gene knock-out mice death, which would provide a good research model to clarify the mechanism of cardiac development.
Animals ; Embryonic Development ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Gene Knockdown Techniques ; Heart ; embryology ; Histone Deacetylases ; genetics ; Mice, Knockout ; Oligonucleotides, Antisense ; RNA, Messenger ; Zebrafish ; embryology ; Zebrafish Proteins ; genetics

BACKGROUNDRetinoic acid (RA) is a potent signaling molecule that plays pleiotropic roles in patterning, morphogenesis, and organogenesis during embryonic development. The synthesis from retinol (vitamin A) to retinoic acid requires two sequential oxidative steps. The first step involves the oxidation of retinol to retinal through the action of retinol dehydrogenases. Retinol dehydrogenases1l (RDH1l) is a novel zebrafish retinol dehydrogenase. Herein we investigated the role of zebrafish RDH1l in heart development and cardiac performance in detail.

METHODSRDH1l specific morpholino was used to reduce the function of RDH1l in zebrafish. The gene expressions were observed by using whole mount in situ hybridization. Heart rates were observed and recorded under the microscope from 24 to 72 hours post fertilization (hpf). The cardiac performance was analyzed by measuring ventricular shortening fraction (VSF).

RESULTSThe knock-down of RDH1l led to abnormal neural crest cells migration and reduced numbers of neural crest cells in RDH1l morphant embryos. The reduced numbers of cardiac neural crest cells also can be seen in RDH1l morphant embryos. Furthermore, the morpholino-mediated knock-down of RDH1l resulted in the abnormal heart loop. The left-right determining genes expression pattern was altered in RDH1l morphant embryos. The impaired cardiac performance was observed in RDH1l morphant embryos. Taken together, these data demonstrate that RDH1l is essential for the heart development and cardiac performance in zebrafish.

CONCLUSIONSRDH1l plays a important role in the neural crest cells development, and then ultimately affects the heart loop and cardiac performance. These results show for the first time that an enzyme involved in the retinol to retinaldehyde conversion participate in the heart development and cardiac performance in zebrafish.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Animals, Genetically Modified ; Heart ; embryology ; Zebrafish ; Zebrafish Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression pattern of hoxd3 gene during early embryogenesis and angiogenesis of wild-type zebrafish.

METHODSTotal RNA was extracted from embryos of zebrafish in different development stages by trizol. The cDNA of hoxd3 gene was amplified by RT-PCR. The RT-PCR product was ligated to pCS(2+) vector by T4 DNA ligatase polymerase and sequenced. T3 RNA polymerase in vitro transcription system was used to obtain the probe of digoxin-labeled anti-sense mRNA of hoxd3 gene. The expression pattern of hoxd3 was detected by whole embryo in situ hybridization (WISH) with anti-sense mRNA probe.

RESULTSpCS(2+)-hoxd3 plasmid was successfully constructed, which was used to prepare anti-sense mRNA probe of hoxd3 in vitro. Expression pattern of hoxd3 gene was detected by WISH during zebrafish early embryogenesis and angiogenesis. It was observed that hoxd3 mRNA was expressed at the junction region of midbrain and hindbrain in wild-type zebrafish in embryos at 24 ≊72h postfertilization(hpf).

CONCLUSIONhoxd3 gene is mainly expressed in nervous system of wide-type zebrafish embryos.

Animals ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Genetic Vectors ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; In Situ Hybridization ; Plasmids ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Transfection ; Zebrafish ; embryology ; genetics ; Zebrafish Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of lead exposure on the gene expression of fibroblast growth factor 3 (Fgf3) in zebrafish embryonic development and the mechanism of lead-induced embryonic developmental toxicity.

METHODSThe embryos of zebrafish (wild types A and B) were exposed to lead acetate (PbAc) at the doses of 0, 0.1, 0.5, 2.5, and 12.5 µmol/L separately. Total RNA was extracted from each treatment group of zebrafish embryos at 8, 12, 16, 24, 36, 48, and 72 hours post fertilization (hpf). The total mRNA expression of Fgf3 was measured by real-time quantitative PCR. The spatial expression of Fgf3 in zebrafish embryos was determined by whole-mount in situ hybridization using synthesized Fgf3 RNA probe.

RESULTSThe mRNA expression of Fgf3 in each group peaked at 12 hpf (P < 0.01). With the increase in PbAc concentration, the mRNA expression of Fgf3 rose. Compared with the mRNA expression level of Fgf3 in the control group, the relative mRNA expression levels of Fgf3 in the 0.1, 0.5, 2.5, and 12.5 µmol/L PbAc exposure groups were 1.02 ± 0.24, 1.05 ± 0.26, 1.22 ± 0.46, and 1.25 ± 0.38, respectively, and the 2.5 and 12.5 µmol/L PbAc exposure groups showed significantly higher Fgf3 expression than the control group (P < 0.05). The whole-mount in situ hybridization results showed that Fgf3 expression occurred mainly in the head and tail in the early stage of embryonic development and in the midbrain, fin bud, and pharyngeal arch in the middle/late stage of embryonic development; there were the most significant regions and intensities of positive hybridization signals at 12 hpf; but no significant differences were found between the control group and exposure groups in the location and intensity of Fgf3 expression

CONCLUSIONLead exposure can result in the upregulation of Fgf3 expression in zebrafish embryonic development, which might contribute to lead-induced embryonic developmental toxicity.

Animals ; Embryonic Development ; drug effects ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 3 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Organometallic Compounds ; adverse effects ; Signal Transduction ; Zebrafish ; embryology ; genetics ; metabolism ; Zebrafish Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism