PUBLICATION
Visualization of cranial motor neurons in live transgenic zebrafish expressing green fluorescent protein under the control of the islet-1 promoter/enhancer
- Authors
- Higashijima, S., Hotta, Y., and Okamoto, H.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-000126-9
- Date
- 2000
- Source
- The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 20(1): 206-218 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Higashijima, Shin-ichi, Okamoto, Hitoshi
- Keywords
- zebrafish; neuron-specific promoter; transgenic; Islet-1; motor neuron; GFP; live visualization.
- MeSH Terms
-
- Homeodomain Proteins/genetics*
- Carbocyanines
- Transcription Factors
- Larva/cytology
- Larva/physiology
- Mutagenesis/physiology
- LIM-Homeodomain Proteins
- Facial Nerve/cytology
- Facial Nerve/growth & development
- Glossopharyngeal Nerve/cytology
- Glossopharyngeal Nerve/growth & development
- Enhancer Elements, Genetic/physiology
- Muscle, Skeletal/innervation
- Indicators and Reagents/metabolism*
- Promoter Regions, Genetic/physiology*
- Organisms, Genetically Modified
- Genes, Reporter
- Zebrafish
- Oculomotor Nerve/cytology
- Oculomotor Nerve/growth & development
- Nerve Tissue Proteins*
- Animals
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Fluorescent Dyes
- Luminescent Proteins/genetics*
- Vagus Nerve/cytology
- Vagus Nerve/growth & development
- Green Fluorescent Proteins
- Neurons, Afferent/cytology
- Neurons, Afferent/physiology
- Motor Neurons/physiology*
- Trigeminal Nerve/cytology*
- Trigeminal Nerve/growth & development
- PubMed
- 10627598 Full text @ J. Neurosci.
Citation
Higashijima, S., Hotta, Y., and Okamoto, H. (2000) Visualization of cranial motor neurons in live transgenic zebrafish expressing green fluorescent protein under the control of the islet-1 promoter/enhancer. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 20(1):206-218.
Abstract
We generated germ line-transmitting transgenic zebrafish that express green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the cranial motor neurons. This was accomplished by fusing GFP sequences to Islet-1 promoter/enhancer sequences that were sufficient for neural-specific expression. The expression of GFP by the motor neurons in the transgenic fish enabled visualization of the cell bodies, main axons, and the peripheral branches within the muscles. GFP-labeled motor neurons could be followed at high resolution for at least up to day four, when most larval neural circuits become functional, and larvae begin to swim and capture prey. Using this line, we analyzed axonal outgrowth by the cranial motor neurons. Furthermore, by selective application of DiI to specific GFP-positive nerve branches, we showed that the two clusters of trigeminal motor neurons in rhombomeres 2 and 3 innervate different peripheral targets. This finding suggests that the trigeminal motor neurons in the two clusters adopt distinct fates. In future experiments, this transgenic line of zebrafish will allow for a genetic analysis of cranial motor neuron development.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping