PUBLICATION

Establishment of transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio) models expressing fluorescence proteins in the oocytes and somatic supporting cells

Authors
Song, Y., Hu, W., Ge, W.
ID
ZDB-PUB-210922-19
Date
2021
Source
General and comparative endocrinology   314: 113907 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Ge, Wei, Hu, Wei
Keywords
Gdf9, Granulosa cells, Gsdf, Oocytes, Sertoli cells, Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Female
  • Fluorescence
  • Growth Differentiation Factor 9/genetics
  • Growth Differentiation Factor 9/metabolism
  • Luminescent Proteins*/genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins*/metabolism
  • Male
  • Oocytes*/metabolism
  • Zebrafish*/genetics
  • Zebrafish*/metabolism
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
PubMed
34543655 Full text @ Gen. Comp. Endocrinol.
Abstract
The interaction between gonadal somatic support cells and germ cells plays a crucial role in gonadal development. In fish, the process involves various local growth factors such as growth differentiation factor 9 (Gdf9) and gonadal soma-derived factor (Gsdf), which are both members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily. Gdf9, an oocyte-secreted factor, is a potent regulator of folliculogenesis in both mammals and fish. By contrast, Gsdf is expressed by the gonadal somatic cells (i.e., Sertoli cells in the testis and granulosa cells in the ovary) that support germ cell development. In this study, we established two transgenic zebrafish models, and demonstrated that the 2.7-kb proximal promoter region of gdf9 drove mCherry expression specifically in the oocytes, whereas the 2.1-kb proximal promoter region of gsdf drove enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) expression in the Sertoli cells and granulosa cells. These proximal promoters contained sufficient information to respectively mimic the spatiotemporal expression patterns of endogenous gdf9 and gsdf in zebrafish. In the Tg(gdf9:mCherry) fish, mCherry was weakly expressed in the oocytes at primary growth stage but strongly expressed in those entering the secondary growth phase. In the Tg(gsdf:eGFP) fish, eGFP-positive Sertoli cells were distributed around spermatogenic cysts in the testis, whereas eGFP-positive granulosa cells were located at the outer side of the follicle layer in the ovary. The eGFP-positive Sertoli cells and granulosa cells seemed to have originated from the dorsal epithelium of the gonads. These Tg(gdf9:mCherry) and Tg(gsdf:eGFP) zebrafish models are suitable for studying gonadal development and function especially on the interaction between germ cells and supporting somatic cells.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping