PUBLICATION

Gene expression analysis of zebrafish melanocytes, iridophores, and retinal pigmented epithelium reveals indicators of biological function and developmental origin

Authors
Higdon, C.W., Mitra, R.D., and Johnson, S.L.
ID
ZDB-PUB-130805-27
Date
2013
Source
PLoS One   8(7): e67801 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Johnson, Stephen L.
Keywords
none
Datasets
GEO:GSE46387
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Biosynthetic Pathways
  • Cell Differentiation/genetics
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Guanine/biosynthesis
  • Melanocytes/cytology
  • Melanocytes/metabolism*
  • Organ Specificity/genetics
  • Retinal Pigment Epithelium/metabolism*
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
  • Zebrafish/metabolism*
PubMed
23874447 Full text @ PLoS One
Abstract

In order to facilitate understanding of pigment cell biology, we developed a method to concomitantly purify melanocytes, iridophores, and retinal pigmented epithelium from zebrafish, and analyzed their transcriptomes. Comparing expression data from these cell types and whole embryos allowed us to reveal gene expression co-enrichment in melanocytes and retinal pigmented epithelium, as well as in melanocytes and iridophores. We found 214 genes co-enriched in melanocytes and retinal pigmented epithelium, indicating the shared functions of melanin-producing cells. We found 62 genes significantly co-enriched in melanocytes and iridophores, illustrative of their shared developmental origins from the neural crest. This is also the first analysis of the iridophore transcriptome. Gene expression analysis for iridophores revealed extensive enrichment of specific enzymes to coordinate production of their guanine-based reflective pigment. We speculate the coordinated upregulation of specific enzymes from several metabolic pathways recycles the rate-limiting substrate for purine synthesis, phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate, thus constituting a guanine cycle. The purification procedure and expression analysis described here, along with the accompanying transcriptome-wide expression data, provide the first mRNA sequencing data for multiple purified zebrafish pigment cell types, and will be a useful resource for further studies of pigment cell biology.

Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping