PUBLICATION

Optimized Gal4 genetics for permanent gene expression mapping in zebrafish

Authors
Distel, M., Wullimann, M.F., and Köster, R.W.
ID
ZDB-PUB-090727-15
Date
2009
Source
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America   106(32): 13365-13370 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Distel, Martin, Köster, Reinhard W., Wullimann, Mario F.
Keywords
enhancer trap, fate mapping, Gal4-UAS, secondary octaval nucleus
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Cell Nucleus/metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics*
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/cytology
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism
  • Enhancer Elements, Genetic/genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Staining and Labeling
  • Trans-Activators/metabolism
  • Transcription Factors/genetics*
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics*
PubMed
19628697 Full text @ Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Abstract
Combinatorial genetics for conditional transgene activation allows studying gene function with temporal and tissue specific control like the Gal4-UAS system, which has enabled sophisticated genetic studies in Drosophila. Recently this system was adapted for zebrafish and promising applications have been introduced. Here, we report a systematic optimization of zebrafish Gal4-UAS genetics by establishing an optimized Gal4-activator (KalTA4). We provide quantitative data for KalTA4-mediated transgene activation in dependence of UAS copy numbers to allow for studying dosage effects of transgene expression. Employing a Tol2 transposon-mediated KalTA4 enhancer trap screen biased for central nervous system expression, we present a collection of self-reporting red fluorescent KalTA4 activator strains. These strains reliably transactivate UAS-dependent transgenes and can be rendered homozygous. Furthermore, we have characterized the transactivation kinetics of tissue-specific KalTA4 activation, which led to the development of a self-maintaining effector strain "Kaloop." This strain relates transient KalTA4 expression during embryogenesis via a KalTA4-mediated autoregulatory mechanism to live adult structures. We demonstrate its use by showing that the secondary octaval nucleus in the adult hindbrain is likely derived from egr2b-expressing cells in rhombomere 5 during stages of early embryogenesis. These data demonstrate prolonged and maintained expression by Kalooping, a technique that can be used for permanent spatiotemporal genetic fate mapping and targeted transgene expression in zebrafish.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Show all Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping