Zeta-Tubulin Is a Member of a Conserved Tubulin Module and Is a Component of the Centriolar Basal Foot in Multiciliated Cells.

There are six members of the tubulin superfamily in eukaryotes. Alpha- and beta-tubulin form a heterodimer that polymerizes to form microtubules, and gamma-tubulin nucleates microtubules as a component of the gamma-tubulin ring complex. Alpha-, beta-, and gamma-tubulin are conserved in all eukaryotes.

A novel chemical screening strategy in zebrafish identifies common pathways in embryogenesis and rhabdomyosarcoma development.

The zebrafish is a powerful genetic model that has only recently been used to dissect developmental pathways involved in oncogenesis. We hypothesized that operative pathways during embryogenesis would also be used for oncogenesis. In an effort to define RAS target genes during embryogenesis, gene expression was evaluated in Tg(hsp70-HRAS(G12V)) zebrafish embryos subjected to heat shock.

tcf21+ epicardial cells adopt non-myocardial fates during zebrafish heart development and regeneration.

Recent lineage-tracing studies have produced conflicting results about whether the epicardium is a source of cardiac muscle cells during heart development. Here, we examined the developmental potential of epicardial tissue in zebrafish during both embryonic development and injury-induced heart regeneration. We found that upstream sequences of the transcription factor gene tcf21 activated robust, epicardium-specific expression throughout development and regeneration.

Maintenance of blastemal proliferation by functionally diverse epidermis in regenerating zebrafish fins.

Appendage regeneration in salamanders and fish occurs through formation and maintenance of a mass of progenitor tissue called the blastema. A dedicated epidermis overlays the blastema and is required for its proliferation and patterning, yet this interaction is poorly understood. Here, we identified molecularly and functionally distinct compartments within the basal epidermal layer during zebrafish fin regeneration.

Fgfs control homeostatic regeneration in adult zebrafish fins.

Adult teleost fish and urodele amphibians possess a spectacular ability to regenerate amputated appendages, based on formation and maintenance of progenitor tissue called a blastema. Although injury-induced, or facultative, appendage regeneration has been studied extensively, the extent to which homeostatic regeneration maintains these structures has not been examined. Here, we found that transgenic inhibition of Fgf receptors in uninjured zebrafish caused severe atrophy of all fin types within 2 months, revealing a requirement for Fgfs to preserve dermal bone, joint structures and supporting tissues.

Regulated addition of new myocardial and epicardial cells fosters homeostatic cardiac growth and maintenance in adult zebrafish.

The heart maintains structural and functional integrity during years of continual contraction, but the extent to which new cell creation participates in cardiac homeostasis is unclear. Here, we assessed cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiac homeostasis in zebrafish, which display indeterminate growth and possess an unusual capacity to regenerate after acute cardiac injury. Lowering fish density in the aquarium triggered rapid animal growth and robust cardiomyocyte proliferation throughout the adult ventricle, greater than that observed during slow animal growth or size maintenance.