The zebrafish is not just your average minnow, it is a model
organism commonly studied because of its rapid development, see through embryo
and easily maniputable genome. Dr.
Schroeder’s lab at Loyola University Chicago, is researching the development of
this organism. Specifically, Dr.
Schroeder is studying the development of neurons, mostly retinal cells, which
include the bipolar cells and ganglion cells. These cells are neurons
responsible for vision in the fish (similarly in humans). Dr. Schroeder uses gateway cloning in
order to extract, clone and tag a specific gene in the zebrafish. Then, using a
fluorescent protein, the development of the zebrafish can be studied. But why
would one study the development of the zebrafish? I mean, come on, even if it
is a model organism, how cool can this fish really be?
Well, like I said before, zebrafish are not your average
minnow, because of their unique developmental and genomic characteristics, the
zebrafish has been studied in various areas in biology. Which is why zebrafish
have made it to Hollywood, or at least have been a forerunner in modern
biomedical research. For example there are genetically modified zebrafish able
to detect oestrogen, a pollutant in lakes and rivers. Zebrafish have also been used to study cancer, drug
treatments, and regeneration. Yes, you read that correctly, zebrafish have
regenerative capabilities of various parts of the body such as limbs, cardiac
muscle, and neural cells. Cut the
zebrafish’s heart, injure its retina or spine… and it will heal itself- it will
regenerate. Stem cells can be generated from zebrafish to help heal with
diseases and trauma in humans.
Humans most likely do not regenerate due to an evolutionary
trade off (suppressing cell growth in order to reduce cancer). After a spinal
or retinal injury, the glial cells scar to prevent bleeding and further injury.
This also prevents axons from getting access to the injured area, and does not
allow regeneration. In zebrafish, the glial cells form a bridge that spans
across the injured site. However, the glial cells allow for axon access. The
injured site can, therefore, be regenerated. Scientists at Monash University discovered a protein called
the fibroblast growth factor, which accounts for the shape of glial cells and
how they react to injury. This accounted for the differences between humans and
zebrafish. This discovery can eventually lead to human neural repair. Other
genes can lead to cardiac and limb repair. So if you thought nothing of
zebrafish in the past, think again- this little organism could be the
regenerative hero for humans in the near future.
Sources
http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/zebrafish-protein-bridges-spinal-cord-injury/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120706184353.htm
Schroeder, Eric et. al., In Vivo Development of retinal ON-bipolar cell axonal terminals visualized in transgenic zebrafish. Feb 2006.
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