Transgenic zebrafish with fluorescent germ cell: a useful tool to visualize germ cell proliferation and juvenile hermaphroditism in vivo
Resource
Developmental Biology 262 (2003),313–323
Journal
Developmental Biology
Date Issued
2003-06-20
Date
2003-06-20
Author(s)
Hsiao, Chung-Der
Tsai, Huai-Jen
DOI
246246/2006111501265181
Abstract
Juvenile zebrafish are hermaphroditic; undifferentiated gonads first develop into ovary-like tissues, which then either become ovaries and
produce oocytes (female) or degenerate and develop into testes (male). In order to fully capture the dynamic processes of germ cells’
proliferation and juvenile hermaphroditism in zebrafish, we established transgenic lines TG(-actin:EGFP), harboring an enhanced green
fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene driven by a medaka -actin promoter. In TG(-actin:EGFP), proliferating germ cells and female gonads
strongly expressed EGFP, but fluorescence was only dimly detected in male gonads. Based on the fluorescent () or nonfluorescent ( )
appearance of germ cells seen in living animals, three distinct groups were evident among TG(-actin:EGFP). Transgenics in group
(44%) were females, had fluorescent germ cells as juveniles, and female gonads continuously fluoresced throughout sexual maturation.
Transgenics in (23%) and (33%) groups were males. Fluorescent germ cells were transiently detected in transgenics from 14
to 34 days postfertilization (dpf), but were not detected in transgenics throughout their life span. Histological analyses showed that
26-dpf-old transgenics in , , and groups all developed ovary-like tissues: Germ cells in group juveniles arrested at the
gonocyte stage and accumulated low quantities of EGFP, while those in group juveniles highly proliferated into diplotene to
perinucleolar stages and accumulated high quantities of EGFP. In group juveniles, degenerating oocytes, gonocytes, and spermatogonia
were coexistent in transiently fluorescent gonads. Therefore, the fluorescent appearance of gonads in this study was synchronous with the
differentiation of ovary-like tissues. Thus, TG(-actin:EGFP) can be used to visualize germ cells’ proliferation and juvenile hermaphroditism
in living zebrafish for the first time.
© 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Subjects
Gibbs-Thomson effect
surface tension
spherical phase growth
solidification
Enhanced green fluorescent protein
Germ cell
Juvenile hermaphroditism
Sex differentiation
Transgenic zebrafish
Publisher
Taipei:National Taiwan University Dept Mech Engn
Type
journal article
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