PUBLICATION

Absence of Desmin in Myofibers of the Zebrafish Extraocular Muscles

Authors
Dennhag, N., Liu, J.X., Nord, H., von Hofsten, J., Pedrosa Domellöf, F.
ID
ZDB-PUB-201002-105
Date
2020
Source
Translational vision science & technology   9: 1 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Nord, Hanna, von Hofsten, Jonas
Keywords
desmin, extraocular muscles, multiterminal en plaque endplates, myosin heavy chain, neuromuscular junction, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Desmin
  • Humans
  • Motor Endplate
  • Myosin Heavy Chains
  • Oculomotor Muscles*
  • Zebrafish*
PubMed
32953241 Full text @ Transl Vis Sci Technol
Abstract
To study the medial rectus (MR) muscle of zebrafish (Daniorerio) with respect to the pattern of distribution of desmin and its correlation to distinct types of myofibers and motor endplates.
The MRs of zebrafish were examined using confocal microscopy in whole-mount longitudinal specimens and in cross sections processed for immunohistochemistry with antibodies against desmin, myosin heavy chain isoforms, and innervation markers. Desmin patterns were correlated to major myofiber type and type of innervation. A total of 1382 myofibers in nine MR muscles were analyzed.
Four distinct desmin immunolabeling patterns were found in the zebrafish MRs. Approximately a third of all slow myofibers lacked desmin, representing 8.5% of the total myofiber population. The adult zebrafish MR muscle displayed en grappe, en plaque, and multiterminal en plaque neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) with intricate patterns of desmin immunolabeling.
The MRs of zebrafish showed important similarities with the human extraocular muscles with regard to the pattern of desmin distribution and presence of the major types of NMJs and can be regarded as an adequate model to further study the role of desmin and the implications of heterogeneity in cytoskeletal protein composition.
The establishment of a zebrafish model to study the cytoskeleton in muscles that are particularly resistant to muscle disease opens new avenues to understand human myopathies and muscle dystrophies and may provide clues to new therapies.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping