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Leptin receptor-deficient (knockout) zebrafish: Effects on nutrient acquisition.
Gianmarco Del Vecchio1, Koji Murashita2, Tiziano Verri3
1Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Via Provinciale Lecce-Monteroni, I-73100 Lecce, Italy; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, PO Box 7803, NO-5020 Bergen, Norway.
General and Comparative Endocrinology
|June 5, 2021
Summary
Leptin receptor (LEPR) in zebrafish influences nutrient acquisition and digestion, but not overall metabolism or growth. This study reveals LEPR
Area of Science:
- * Zoology and Comparative Physiology: Investigating the role of leptin receptor (LEPR) in teleost fish.
- * Genetics and Molecular Biology: Utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 technology for gene knockout studies.
Background:
- * In mammals, leptin signaling via LEPR is crucial for regulating appetite and energy balance, preventing obesity and diabetes.
- * The physiological functions of LEPR in teleost fish, particularly zebrafish (Danio rerio), remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To investigate the role of LEPR in zebrafish physiology, focusing on nutrient acquisition, energy allocation, and metabolism.
- * To characterize a zebrafish homozygous lepr knockout (lepr-/-) line generated using CRISPR/Cas9.
- * To assess the impact of LEPR on gene expression related to appetite control, nutrient sensing, and digestion.
Main Methods:
- * Generation of a homozygous lepr knockout zebrafish line using CRISPR/Cas9.
- * Metabolic characterization including oxygen consumption rate and morphometric analysis of developing zebrafish.
- * In vivo analysis of gene expression in lepr-/- and wild-type (wt) larvae after oral administration of protein hydrolysate.
Main Results:
- * No significant differences in overall metabolism, energy allocation, or growth were observed between lepr-/- and wt zebrafish, except for lower oxygen consumption at 72 hours post-fertilization in knockout embryos.
- * Transcriptional analysis revealed significant differences in the expression of genes involved in appetite control, nutrient sensing, and digestion between lepr-/- and wt larvae.
- * LEPR appears to play a more pronounced role in regulating orexigenic pathways (appetite stimulation) compared to anorexigenic pathways (appetite suppression).
Conclusions:
- * Zebrafish LEPR influences physiological processes related to nutrient acquisition, particularly the control of food intake and digestion during early development.
- * Metabolism, energy allocation, and growth in zebrafish are only slightly influenced by LEPR.
- * This study highlights a conserved, yet distinct, role for LEPR in teleost nutrient regulation compared to mammals.
