Selected Grantee Publications
Temperature-Dependent Alterations in the Proteome of the Emergent Fish Pathogen Edwardsiella piscicida
Jacobsen et al., Journal of Fish Diseases. 2024.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39304982
Reported outbreaks of Edwardsiella piscicida, a bacterial pathogen among cultured and wild fish, have been steadily increasing over the past decade in tandem with climate change–mediated increases in water temperatures. The capacity for this increasingly prevalent fish pathogen to infect and cause disease in mammals is important to understand. Researchers examined the role of temperature on the virulence of E. piscicida to understand its pathogenesis in the context of climate warming trends and better understand its zoonotic potential. Findings revealed downregulation of virulence-related proteins, such as flagellar and Type VI secretion system proteins, at colder temperatures. These findings highlight the potential environmental factors influencing the pathogen’s threat to aquaculture and public health. Supported by ORIP (S10OD026918, T32OD011147).
Injury-Induced Cooperation of InhibinβA and JunB is Essential for Cell Proliferation in Xenopus Tadpole Tail Regeneration
Nakamura et al., Scientific Reports. 2024.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38355764/
Certain animal species (e.g., amphibians) that can regenerate lost tissues and limbs after injury offer potential for applications in regenerative medicine. Cell proliferation is essential for the reconstruction of injured tissue, but the molecular mechanisms that regulate the transition from wound healing to regenerative cell proliferation remain unclear. Using Xenopus tropicalis, investigators examined the effects of injury on the expression of inhibin subunit beta A (inhba) and junB proto-oncogene (junb). Their findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying injury-induced cell proliferation in regenerative animals. Supported by ORIP (P40OD010997, R24OD030008).
Early Detection of Pseudocapillaria tomentosa by qPCR in Four Lines of Zebrafish, Danio rerio (Hamilton 1882)
Schuster et al., Journal of Fish Diseases. 2023.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfd.13773
The intestinal nematode Pseudocapillaria tomentosa in zebrafish (Danio rerio) causes profound intestinal lesions, emaciation, and death and is a promoter of a common intestinal cancer in zebrafish. This nematode has been detected in an estimated 15% of zebrafish laboratories. Adult worms are readily detected about 3 weeks after exposure by either histology or wet mount preparations of the intestine, and larval worms are inconsistently observed in fish before this time. A quantitative PCR (qPCR) test was recently developed to detect the worm in fish and water, and here the authors determined that the test on zebrafish intestines was effective for earlier detection. Supported by ORIP (R24OD010998, P40OD011021).
HDAC Inhibitor Titration of Transcription and Axolotl Tail Regeneration
Voss et al., Frontiers in Cell and Development Biology. 2021.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35036404/
New patterns of gene expression are enacted and regulated during tissue regeneration. Romidepsin, an FDA-approved HDAC inhibitor, potently blocks axolotl embryo tail regeneration by altering initial transcriptional responses to injury. Regeneration inhibitory concentrations of romidepsin increased and decreased the expression of key genes. Single-nuclei RNA sequencing at 6 HPA illustrated that key genes were altered by romidepsin in the same direction across multiple cell types. These results implicate HDAC activity as a transcriptional mechanism that operates across cell types to regulate the alternative expression of genes that associate with regenerative success versus failure outcomes. Supported by ORIP (P40OD019794, R24OD010435, R24OD021479), NICHD, and NIGMS.
The SARS-CoV-2 Receptor and Other Key Components of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Related to COVID-19 are Expressed in Enterocytes in Larval Zebrafish
Postlethwait et al., Biology Open. 2021.
https://bio.biologists.org/content/10/3/bio058172.article-info
Hypertension and respiratory inflammation are exacerbated by the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS), which normally protects from dropping blood pressure via Angiotensin II (Ang II) produced by the enzyme Ace. The Ace paralog Ace2 degrades Ang II and serves as the SARS-CoV-2 receptor. To exploit zebrafish to understand the relationship of RAAS to COVID-19, the group conducted genomic and phylogenetic analyses. Results identified a type of enterocyte as the expression site of zebrafish orthologs of key RAAS components, including the SARS-CoV-2 co-receptor. Results identified vascular cell subtypes expressing Ang II receptors and identified cell types to exploit zebrafish as a model for understanding COVID-19 mechanisms. Supported by ORIP (R24OD026591, R01OD011116), NIGMS, NICHD.