Analysis of fish DNA biomarkers as a molecular-level approach for ecological health assessments in an urban stream.

This study was performed to determine the ecosystem health of an urban stream using DNA damage biomarkers of sentinel fish species along with chemical analyses of water and sediments in the impacted and reference zones. The results based on single-cell gel electrophoresis showed that the extent of DNA damage was significantly elevated in the polluted zone. The severity of DNA damage in the impacted zone was largely attributed to high levels of heavy metals, such as As, Zn, Pb, and Ni.

Siah ubiquitin ligases modulate nodal signaling during zebrafish embryonic development.

Siah2 is a zebrafish homologue of mammalian Siah family. Siah acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that binds proteins destined for degradation. Extensive homology between siah and Drosophila Siah homologue (sina) suggests their important physiological roles during embryonic development.

Seson, a novel zinc finger protein, controls cilia integrity for the LR patterning during zebrafish embryogenesis.

In zebrafish embryos, bilateral symmetry is broken by asymmetric nodal flow generated in Kupffer's vesicle (KV), the transient cilia-rich organ, analogous to the mouse node. Asymmetric nodal flow induces the asymmetric expression of several genes, which are critical for the determination of correct LR body patterning. seson encoding three consecutive C2H2 zinc finger protein is predominantly expressed in the cilia-rich organs including KV.