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Abstract
In the last 30 years, the zebrafish has become a widely used model organism for research on vertebrate development and disease. Through a powerful combination of genetics and experimental embryology, significant inroads have been made into the regulation of embryonic axis formation, organogenesis, and the development of neural networks. Research with this model has also expanded into other areas, including the genetic regulation of aging, regeneration, and animal behavior. Zebrafish are a popular model because of the ease with which they can be maintained, their small size and low cost, the ability to obtain hundreds of embryos on a daily basis, and the accessibility, translucency, and rapidity of early developmental stages. This primer describes the swift progress of genetic approaches in zebrafish and highlights recent advances that have led to new insights into vertebrate biology.
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Anorve-Andress K, Arcand AL, Borg BR, Brown JL, Chartrand CA, Frank ML, Jansen JN, Joyce MJ, Joyce MT, Kinney JA, Kruggel SL, Lecy AD, Ma P, Malecha KM, Melgaard K, Miller PL, Nelson KK, Nieto Robles M, Perosino TR, Peterson JM, Rollins AD, Scherkenbach WL, Smith AL, Sodergren KA, Stiller JJ, Wehber KR, Liang JO. Variation in Spot and Stripe Patterns in Original and Regenerated Zebrafish Caudal Fins. Zebrafish 2016; 13:256-65. [PMID: 27096743 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2015.1192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissue regeneration requires not only the replacement of lost cells and tissues, but also the recreation of morphologies and patterns. Skin pigment pattern is a relatively simple system that can allow researchers to uncover the underlying mechanisms of pattern formation. To gain insight into how pigment patterns form, undergraduate students in the senior level course Developmental Biology designed an experiment that assayed pigment patterns in original and regenerated caudal fins of wild-type, striped, and mutant, spotted zebrafish. A majority of the WT fins regenerated with a similar striped pattern. In contrast, the pattern of spots even in the original fins of the mutants varied among individual fish. Similarly, the majority of the spots in the mutants did not regenerate with the same morphology, size, or spacing as the original fins. This was true even when only a small amount of fin was removed, leaving most of the fin to potentially reseed the pattern in the regenerating tissue. This suggests that the mechanism that creates the wild-type, striped pattern persists to recreate the pattern during regeneration. The mechanism that creates the spots in the mutants, however, must include an unknown element that introduces variability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amy Lucille Arcand
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Bethanie R Borg
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Jayce Lee Brown
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | | | - Marisohn L Frank
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Jedediah N Jansen
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Michael J Joyce
- 2 Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program, University of Minnesota , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Michael T Joyce
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Joseph A Kinney
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | | | - Amanda D Lecy
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Phyo Ma
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Katchen M Malecha
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Kelsey Melgaard
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Paula L Miller
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Kristina K Nelson
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Andrea L Smith
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Kelsey A Sodergren
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Jacob Jo Stiller
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Kevin R Wehber
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Jennifer Ostrom Liang
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota.,2 Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program, University of Minnesota , Duluth, Minnesota
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Singleman C, Holtzman NG. Growth and maturation in the zebrafish, Danio rerio: a staging tool for teaching and research. Zebrafish 2014; 11:396-406. [PMID: 24979389 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2014.0976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish have been increasingly used as a teaching tool to enhance the learning of many biological concepts from genetics, development, and behavior to the understanding of the local watershed. Traditionally, in both research and teaching, zebrafish work has focused on embryonic stages; however, later stages, from larval through adulthood, are increasingly being examined. Defining developmental stages based on age is a problematic way to assess maturity, because many environmental factors, such as temperature, population density, and water quality, impact growth and maturation. Fish length and characterization of key external morphological traits are considered better markers for maturation state. While a number of staging series exist for zebrafish, here we present a simplified normalization table of post-embryonic maturation well suited to both educational and research use. Specifically, we utilize fish size and four easily identified external morphological traits (pigment pattern, tail fin, anal fin, and dorsal fin morphology) to describe three larval stages, a juvenile stage, and an adult stage. These simplified maturation standards will be a useful tool for both educational and research protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinna Singleman
- 1 Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York , Queens, New York
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