PUBLICATION

Differential gene expression following TLR stimulation in rag1-/- mutant zebrafish tissues and morphological descriptions of lymphocyte-like cell populations

Authors
Muire, P.J., Hanson, L.A., Wills, R., Petrie-Hanson, L.
ID
ZDB-PUB-170915-3
Date
2017
Source
PLoS One   12: e0184077 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
Kidneys, Spleen, Zebrafish, NK cells, Glucans, Gene expression, Macrophages, Interferons
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation/genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation/immunology*
  • Homeodomain Proteins/genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins/immunology*
  • Imidazoles/pharmacology
  • Immunity, Innate/drug effects
  • Immunity, Innate/genetics
  • Lymphocytes/immunology*
  • Macrophages/immunology
  • Organ Specificity/drug effects
  • Organ Specificity/genetics
  • Organ Specificity/immunology
  • Poly I-C/pharmacology
  • Toll-Like Receptors/agonists
  • Toll-Like Receptors/immunology*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish/immunology*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/immunology*
  • beta-Glucans/pharmacology
PubMed
28910320 Full text @ PLoS One
Abstract
In the absence of lymphocytes, rag1-/- mutant zebrafish develop protective immunity to bacteria. In mammals, induction of protection by innate immunity can be mediated by macrophages or natural killer (NK) cells. To elucidate potential responsive cell populations, we morphologically characterized lymphocyte-like cells (LLCs) from liver, spleen and kidney hematopoietic tissues. In fish, these cells include NK cells and Non-specific cytotoxic cells (NCCs). We also evaluated the transcriptional expression response of select genes that are important indicators of NK and macrophage activation after exposure to specific TLR ligands. The LLC cell populations could be discriminated by size and further discriminated by the presence of cytoplasmic granules. Expression levels of mx, tnfα, ifnγ, t-bet and nitr9 demonstrated dynamic changes in response to intra-coelomically administered β glucan (a TLR2/6 ligand), Poly I:C (a TLR3 ligand) and resiquimod (R848) (a TLR7/8 ligand). Following TLR 2/6 stimulation, there was a greater than 100 fold increase in ifnγ in liver, kidney and spleen and moderate increases in tnfα in liver and kidney. TLR3 stimulation caused broad up regulation of mx, down-regulation of tnfα in kidney and spleen tissues and up regulation of nitr9 in the kidney. Following TLR 7/8 stimulation, there was a greater than 100 fold increase in ifnγ in liver and kidney and t-bet in liver. Our gene expression findings suggest that LLCs and macrophages are stimulated following β glucan exposure. Poly I:C causes type I interferon response and mild induction of LLC in the kidney and R-848 exposure causes the strongest LLC stimulation. Overall, the strongest NK like gene expression occurred in the liver. These differential effects of TLR ligands in rag1-/- mutant zebrafish shows strong NK cell-like gene expression responses, especially in the liver, and provides tools to evaluate the basis for protective immunity mediated by the innate immune cells of fish.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping