PUBLICATION
Development and maturation of the immune system in zebrafish, Danio rerio: a gene expression profiling, in situ hybridization and immunological study
- Authors
- Lam, S.H., Chua, H.L., Gong, Z., Lam, T.J., and Sin, Y.M.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-030911-4
- Date
- 2004
- Source
- Developmental and comparative immunology 28(1): 9-28 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Gong, Zhiyuan
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Antibody Formation
- Blotting, Western
- Cell Differentiation
- Electrophoresis, Agar Gel
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Homeodomain Proteins/analysis
- Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism
- Immunoglobulins/analysis
- Immunoglobulins/immunology
- In Situ Hybridization
- Kidney/cytology
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- RNA, Messenger/analysis
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism*
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Thymus Gland/cytology
- Zebrafish/embryology*
- Zebrafish/genetics
- Zebrafish/immunology*
- PubMed
- 12962979 Full text @ Dev. Comp. Immunol.
Citation
Lam, S.H., Chua, H.L., Gong, Z., Lam, T.J., and Sin, Y.M. (2004) Development and maturation of the immune system in zebrafish, Danio rerio: a gene expression profiling, in situ hybridization and immunological study. Developmental and comparative immunology. 28(1):9-28.
Abstract
The development and maturation of the immune system in zebrafish was investigated using immune-related gene expression profiling by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridization (ISH), immunoglobulin (Ig) detection by immuno-affinity purification and Western blotting as well as immersion immunization experiments. Ikaros expression was first detected at 1 day post-fertilization (dpf) and thereafter increased gradually to more than two-fold between 28 and 42dpf before decreasing to less than the initial 1dpf expression level in adult fish (aged 105dpf). Recombination activating gene-1 (Rag-1) expression levels increased rapidly (by 10-fold) between 3 and 17dpf, reaching a maximum between 21 and 28dpf before decreasing gradually. However, in adult fish aged 105dpf, the expression level of Rag-1 had dropped markedly, and was equivalent to the expression level at 3dpf. T-cell receptor alpha constant region and immunoglobulin light chain constant region (IgLC) isotype-1, 2 and 3 mRNAs were detected at low levels by 3dpf and their expression levels increased steadily to the adult range between 4 and 6 weeks post-fertilization (wpf). Using tissue-section ISH, Rag-1 expression was detected in head kidney by 2wpf while IgLC-1, 2 and 3 were detected in the head kidney and the thymus by 3wpf onwards. Secreted Ig was only detectable using immuno-affinity purification and Western blotting by 4wpf. Humoral response to T-independent antigen (formalin-killed Aeromonas hydrophila) and T-dependent antigen (human gamma globulin) was observed in zebrafish immunized at 4 and 6wpf, respectively, indicating that immunocompetence was achieved. The findings reveal that the zebrafish immune system is morphologically and functionally mature by 4-6wpf.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping