PUBLICATION
In vivo labeling of zebrafish motor neurons using an mnx1 enhancer and Gal4/UAS
- Authors
- Zelenchuk, T.A., and Bruses, J.L.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-110519-29
- Date
- 2011
- Source
- Genesis (New York, N.Y. : 2000) 49(7): 546-54 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Bruses, Juan L.
- Keywords
- danio rerio, motor neuron development, mnx1 enhancer, in vivo imaging, spinal cord
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Animals, Genetically Modified
- DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics*
- Enhancer Elements, Genetic/genetics*
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Molecular Imaging
- Motor Neurons/metabolism*
- Neurogenesis/genetics
- Staining and Labeling*
- Transcription Factors/genetics*
- Zebrafish*/embryology
- Zebrafish*/genetics
- Zebrafish*/metabolism
- Zebrafish Proteins/genetics*
- PubMed
- 21538811 Full text @ Genesis
Citation
Zelenchuk, T.A., and Bruses, J.L. (2011) In vivo labeling of zebrafish motor neurons using an mnx1 enhancer and Gal4/UAS. Genesis (New York, N.Y. : 2000). 49(7):546-54.
Abstract
The zebrafish spinal cord primary motor neurons are commonly used as an experimental model to study the molecular mechanisms that regulate axonal pathfinding and neuromuscular junction formation, and for the modeling of human neurodegenerative disorders. This study characterized a 125-bp mnx1 enhancer to direct gene expression in spinal cord motor neurons. A promoter containing three copies of the 125-bp mnx1 enhancer was generated in a Tol2 vector and used to drive EGFP expression either directly or in combination with the Gal4/UAS transcriptional activation system. Both methods induced protein expression for up to five days after fertilization, allowing the observation of the dendritic tree and axonal arborization of single motor neurons within a somitic segment in fixed and live animals. The use of the 125-bp mnx1 promoter for transient transgenic expression or for the generation of stable transgenic fish lines will facilitate the study of motor neuron development and neurodegenerative processes.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping