PUBLICATION

Adequate expression of neuropeptide Y is essential for the recovery of zebrafish motor function following spinal cord injury

Authors
Cui, C., Wang, L.F., Huang, S.B., Zhao, P., Chen, Y.Q., Wu, Y.B., Qiao, C.M., Zhao, W.J., Shen, Y.Q.
ID
ZDB-PUB-210808-12
Date
2021
Source
Experimental neurology   345: 113831 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
Axon regeneration, NPY, NPY1R, Spinal cord injury, Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Gene Expression
  • Spinal Cord Injuries/genetics
  • Spinal Cord Injuries/metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Zebrafish
  • Male
  • Female
  • Motor Neurons/metabolism
  • Neuropeptide Y/biosynthesis*
  • Neuropeptide Y/genetics
  • Recovery of Function/physiology*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/biosynthesis*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
PubMed
34363807 Full text @ Exp. Neurol.
Abstract
In strong contrast to limited repair within the mammalian central nervous system, the spinal cord of adult zebrafish is capable of almost complete recovery following injury. Understanding the mechanism underlying neural repair and functional recovery in zebrafish may lead to innovative therapies for human spinal cord injury (SCI). Since neuropeptide Y (NPY) plays a protective role in the pathogenesis of several neurological diseases, in the present study, we evaluated the effects of NPY on neuronal repair and subsequent recovery of motor function in adult zebrafish following SCI. Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), in situ hybridization and immunostaining for NPY revealed decreased NPY expression at 12 h (h), 6 and 21 days (d) after SCI. Double-immunostaining for NPY and islet-1, a motoneuron marker, showed that NPY was expressed in spinal cord motoneurons. Morpholino (MO) treatment to suppress the expression of NPY inhibited supraspinal axon regrowth and locomotor recovery, in which double-staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and islet-1 showed a reduction in motoneuron proliferation. Similarly, a downregulated mRNA level of Y1 receptor of NPY (NPY1R) was also detected at 12 h, 6 and 21 d after injury. Immunostaining revealed that the expression of NPY1R was co-localized with NPY. Collectively, the results suggest that NPY expression in motoneurons promotes descending axon regeneration and locomotor recovery in adult zebrafish after SCI, possibly by regulating motoneuron proliferation through activation of NPY1R.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping