PUBLICATION

Zebrafish as an In Vivo Model to Assess Epigenetic Effects of Ionizing Radiation

Authors
Kong, E.Y., Cheng, S.H., Yu, K.N.
ID
ZDB-PUB-161217-2
Date
2016
Source
International Journal of Molecular Sciences   17(12): (Review)
Registered Authors
Cheng, Shuk Han
Keywords
epigenetic effects, ionizing radiation, zebrafish embryos
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • DNA Methylation/radiation effects
  • Epigenesis, Genetic/radiation effects*
  • Histones/metabolism
  • Models, Animal
  • Radiation, Ionizing*
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
PubMed
27983682 Full text @ Int. J. Mol. Sci.
Abstract
Exposure to ionizing radiations (IRs) is ubiquitous in our environment and can be categorized into "targeted" effects and "non-targeted" effects. In addition to inducing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage, IR exposure leads to epigenetic alterations that do not alter DNA sequence. Using an appropriate model to study the biological effects of radiation is crucial to better understand IR responses as well as to develop new strategies to alleviate exposure to IR. Zebrafish, Danio rerio, is a scientific model organism that has yielded scientific advances in several fields and recent studies show the usefulness of this vertebrate model in radiation biology. This review briefly describes both "targeted" and "non-targeted" effects, describes the findings in radiation biology using zebrafish as a model and highlights the potential of zebrafish to assess the epigenetic effects of IR, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and miRNA expression. Other in vivo models are included to compare observations made with zebrafish, or to illustrate the feasibility of in vivo models when the use of zebrafish was unavailable. Finally, tools to study epigenetic modifications in zebrafish, including changes in genome-wide DNA methylation, histone modifications and miRNA expression, are also described in this review.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping