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Micromanipulation of Gene Expression in the Adult Zebrafish Brain Using Cerebroventricular Microinjection of Morpholino Oligonucleotides
Published on: May 23, 2013
Zebrafish rest regulates developmental gene expression but not neurogenesis
Fatma O Kok1, Andrew Taibi, Sarah J Wanner
1Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
Development (Cambridge, England)
|September 7, 2012
Summary
The transcriptional repressor Rest is essential for repressing neural genes during early zebrafish development, but not required for germ layer specification or widespread neurogenesis. Rest fine-tunes neural gene expression rather than broadly regulating cell fate.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Neuroscience
- Gene Regulation
Background:
- The transcriptional repressor Rest (also known as NRSF) controls neural gene expression by binding to RE1 elements.
- The precise role of Rest in embryonic development and cell fate determination remains controversial.
- Understanding Rest's function is crucial for comprehending neural development and potential disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental requirement for Rest in zebrafish.
- To clarify the role of Rest in germ layer specification, neurogenesis, and cell fate.
- To resolve conflicting views on Rest's function in development.
Main Methods:
- Zinc-finger nuclease-mediated gene targeting in zebrafish to create rest mutants.
- Analysis of embryonic development, germ layer specification, and neurogenesis in rest mutants.
- Utilized an RE1/NRSE transgenic reporter system to monitor Rest activity dynamically.
Main Results:
- Germ layer specification occurred normally in rest mutants, despite derepression of target genes.
- Neurogenesis proceeded largely normally, with specific defects in oligodendrocyte precursor cells and neuron migration.
- Rest is required for repressing gene expression in mesodermal derivatives and the nervous system, and for long-term repression in adult non-neural tissues.
Conclusions:
- Maternal Rest is essential for repressing target genes during blastula stages.
- Rest plays a role in fine-tuning neural gene expression rather than being a widespread regulator of neurogenesis or cell fate.
- Rest is critical for long-term repression of target genes in non-neural tissues in adult zebrafish.
