Identification and expression analysis of zebrafish testis-specific gene 10 (tsga10)

Several clinical studies suggest that testis-specific gene antigen 10 (TSGA10) is a cancer-testis antigen with a discernible expression pattern in the testis. Recent studies have highlighted that TSGA10 overexpression in HeLa cells impairs the transcriptional activity of hypoxia-inducible factor alpha (HIF-1α) and inhibits angiogenesis. In this study, we used the zebrafish as a powerful model organism to identify and characterize the orthologue of TSGA10. We analyzed the gene expression pattern by RT-PCR and whole mount in situ hybridization and overexpressed the tsga10 protein by mRNA microinjection. Our results revealed that during early development, tsga10 expression is enriched, but gradually subsides between 0 and 72 hours post fertilization (hpf). There was no detectable transcript at the larval stages. In adult fish, we found high expression levels of tsga10 in the testis and unfertilized egg and low levels of gene expression in the brain, eyes and muscle. Overexpression of tsga10, using tsga10 mRNA microinjection into one-cell stage embryos, resulted in angiogenic and morphological defects at 24 and 48 hpf. This study clarified the expression pattern of tsga10 in different developmental stages and adult tissues, suggesting that tsga10 may have a related biological role in different cell types and tissues. Our results indicate that tsga10 mRNA at embryonic stages is maternally deposited, indicating a transient functional role during embryogenesis. Our findings suggest that tsga10 is a human orthologous gene relevant for future studies to elucidate its mechanism of action in angiogenesis.