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Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules
Published on: October 17, 2014
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Amyloid precursor protein-b facilitates cell adhesion during early development in zebrafish
Rakesh Kumar Banote1,2, Jasmine Chebli1, Tuğçe Munise Şatır1
1Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, S-41345, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Scientific Reports
|June 25, 2020
Summary
Zebrafish appb mutants show smaller size and disrupted enveloping layer (EVL) integrity during early embryonic development. Compensatory mechanisms allow mutants to develop into healthy adults, suggesting appb supports initial cell adhesion.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
Background:
- The biological functions of amyloid beta (Aβ) precursor protein (APP) extend beyond Alzheimer's disease, but its role in embryonic development remains unclear.
- Zebrafish (Danio rerio) offer a valuable model for studying early development due to their transparency and rapid external development.
- The zebrafish APP orthologue, Appb, is highly expressed during embryogenesis, yet its precise function has been primarily investigated through knockdown studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Appb in zebrafish embryonic development using a novel genetic mutation.
- To characterize the cellular and developmental consequences of appb loss-of-function in zebrafish.
- To explore potential compensatory mechanisms within the APP family during development.
Main Methods:
- Generation and characterization of zebrafish carrying a homozygous premature stop mutation in the appb gene.
- Phenotypic analysis of appb mutants, including size measurements, morphological assessments, and behavioral evaluations.
- Analysis of gene expression patterns for app family members in appb mutants.
Main Results:
- appb mutants exhibited reduced body size until 2 days post-fertilization (dpf) and compromised enveloping layer (EVL) integrity with altered cell protrusions at the blastula stage.
- Mutants surviving past 48 hours post-fertilization (hpf) showed no behavioral deficits at 6 dpf and developed into fertile adults.
- Altered expression of the related gene, appa, was observed in appb mutants.
Conclusions:
- Zebrafish appb plays a crucial role in early embryonic development, specifically in maintaining the integrity of the enveloping layer, likely through cell adhesion.
- The zebrafish APP family exhibits functional redundancy, as other family members, such as appa, may compensate for the loss of Appb to ensure normal development and adult viability.
- This study provides new insights into the non-Alzheimer's related functions of APP during vertebrate embryonic development.
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