PUBLICATION

Liver development and cancer formation in zebrafish

Authors
Lu, J.W., Hsia, Y., Tu, H.C., Hsiao, Y.C., Yang, W.Y., Wang, H.D., and Yuh, C.H..
ID
ZDB-PUB-110628-23
Date
2011
Source
Birth defects research. Part C, Embryo today : reviews   93(2): 157-172 (Review)
Registered Authors
Tu, Hsiao-Chen, Yang, Wan-Yu, Yuh, Chiou-Hwa (Cathy)
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Ankyrins/genetics
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/physiopathology
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16/genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/physiology
  • Gene Regulatory Networks/genetics*
  • Gene Regulatory Networks/physiology
  • Liver/embryology*
  • Liver Neoplasms/genetics*
  • Liver Neoplasms/physiopathology
  • Models, Animal*
  • Morphogenesis/genetics*
  • Morphogenesis/physiology
  • Mutation/genetics
  • Retinoblastoma Protein/genetics
  • Signal Transduction/genetics
  • Signal Transduction/physiology
  • Trans-Activators/genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics
  • Wnt Proteins/metabolism
  • Zebrafish*
  • beta Catenin/metabolism
PubMed
21671355 Full text @ Birth Defects Res. C Embryo Today
Abstract
Liver is the largest organ in the human body, and it regulates many physiological processes. Many studies on liver development in different model organisms have demonstrated that the mechanism of hepatogenesis is conserved in vertebrates. The identification of the genes and regulatory pathways involved in liver formation provides a basis for the diagnosis of liver diseases and therapeutic interventions. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the third leading cause of mortality worldwide. In the last decade, genetic alterations, which include the gain and loss of DNA, as well as mutations and epigenomic changes, have been identified as important factors in liver cancer. Many genetic pathways are dysregulated during carcinogenesis. Here, we review the gene regulatory networks that underlie liver organogenesis and the dysregulation of these pathways in liver cancer. The genes and pathways involved in hepatogenesis and liver cancer are largely conserved between zebrafish and humans, making this an ideal model organism for the study of this disease. A better understanding of liver development may aid in the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to liver cancer.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping