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Updated: Dec 29, 2025
High Resolution Whole Mount In Situ Hybridization within Zebrafish Embryos to Study Gene Expression and Function
Published on: October 19, 2013
Expression patterns of pcbp gene family members during zebrafish embryogenesis
Jie Wang1, Xiaoling Guo2, Dongxian Wang1
1Centre for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Insights
Poly(C)-binding proteins (PCBP) are crucial RNA-binding proteins. This study maps zebrafish PCBP gene expression, revealing roles in neural and digestive system development, with similar patterns suggesting links to related diseases.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- The poly(C)-binding protein (PCBP) family, also known as hnRNP E, comprises ubiquitously expressed RNA-binding proteins with diverse functions.
- While mammalian PCBP family members (PCBP1-4) are known, their specific roles in vertebrate development remain largely uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spatiotemporal expression patterns of zebrafish pcbp2, pcbp3, and pcbp4 during embryonic development.
- To elucidate the potential roles of PCBP family members in organogenesis and their implications for neural and digestive system development.
Main Methods:
- Whole-mount in situ hybridization was employed to analyze the expression of pcbp2, pcbp3, and pcbp4 genes in zebrafish embryos at various developmental stages.
- Expression patterns were examined across different tissues and developmental time points.
Main Results:
- All analyzed pcbp genes exhibited maternal expression, with pcbp2 showing strong expression from embryogenesis through the larval stage.
- PCBP members displayed similar early expression patterns, notably in the intestine, otic vesicle, retina, and brain.
- Later in development, PCBP gene expression became more restricted, with high expression observed in larval intestines.
Conclusions:
- The study identified distinct spatiotemporal expression patterns for zebrafish PCBP family members during embryonic development.
- PCBP members likely play significant roles in the development and function of the neural and digestive systems.
- Similar expression profiles suggest that dysregulation of these genes could be associated with neural or intestinal diseases.
Abstract:
The poly(C)-binding protein (PCBP) family members belong to a subtype of RNA-binding proteins that are ubiquitously expressed with diverse functions. In mammals, PCBP family, also known as hnRNP E family, is composed of four proteins, namely PCBP1, PCBP2, PCBP3 and PCBP4. So far, no study has been documented on the physiological roles of each member in vertebrate development. Here we analysed the spatiotemporal expression patterns of zebrafish (Danio rerio) pcbp2 (identical to pcbp1 and pcbp2 in mammals), pcbp3 and pcbp4 at various stages of zebrafish embryonic development by whole-mount in situ hybridization. Our results revealed that all pcbp genes are maternally expressed, especially pcbp2, which is strongly expressed from the embryogenetic stage to larva. The expression patterns of PCBP members are similar to each other at the very early developmental stage sharing with common strong expression in the intestine, otic vesicle, retina and brain of zebrafish. Subsequently, the messenger RNAs of PCBP members are gradually constrained and highly expressed in intestines of the larvae. Collectively, our study figured out the expression pattern of each PCBP member in diverse organogenesis during embryo development, indicating that PCBP members may play predominant roles in the development of neural and digestive systems to maintain their normal physiological functions. Moreover, the similar expression patterns at the developmental stages and organ types among this family suggest that the aberrant expression of these genes would lead to the neural or intestinal diseases.
