Cutaneous and Developmental Effects of Overexpression in Zebrafish.

Background: Gain-of-function mutations in have recently been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP). Those mutations were found to activate the NF-kB signaling pathway.

Objective: Zebrafish is often used to model human diseases in general, and in skin disorders more particularly.

Functional development of the circadian clock in the zebrafish pineal gland.

The zebrafish constitutes a powerful model organism with unique advantages for investigating the vertebrate circadian timing system and its regulation by light. In particular, the remarkably early and rapid development of the zebrafish circadian system has facilitated exploring the factors that control the onset of circadian clock function during embryogenesis. Here, we review our understanding of the molecular basis underlying functional development of the central clock in the zebrafish pineal gland.

The light-induced transcriptome of the zebrafish pineal gland reveals complex regulation of the circadian clockwork by light.

Light constitutes a primary signal whereby endogenous circadian clocks are synchronized ('entrained') with the day/night cycle. The molecular mechanisms underlying this vital process are known to require gene activation, yet are incompletely understood. Here, the light-induced transcriptome in the zebrafish central clock organ, the pineal gland, was characterized by messenger RNA (mRNA) sequencing (mRNA-seq) and microarray analyses, resulting in the identification of multiple light-induced mRNAs.

Systematic identification of rhythmic genes reveals camk1gb as a new element in the circadian clockwork.

A wide variety of biochemical, physiological, and molecular processes are known to have daily rhythms driven by an endogenous circadian clock. While extensive research has greatly improved our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that constitute the circadian clock, the links between this clock and dependent processes have remained elusive. To address this gap in our knowledge, we have used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and DNA microarrays to systematically identify clock-controlled genes in the zebrafish pineal gland.

Regulation of per and cry genes reveals a central role for the D-box enhancer in light-dependent gene expression.

Light serves as a key environmental signal for synchronizing the circadian clock with the day night cycle. The zebrafish represents an attractive model for exploring how light influences the vertebrate clock mechanism. Direct illumination of most fish tissues and cell lines induces expression of a broad range of genes including DNA repair, stress response and key clock genes.

Multiple PAR and E4BP4 bZIP transcription factors in zebrafish: diverse spatial and temporal expression patterns.

Circadian rhythms of physiology and behavior are generated by an autonomous circadian oscillator that is synchronized daily with the environment, mainly by light input. The PAR subfamily of transcriptional activators and the related E4BP4 repressor belonging to the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family are clock-controlled genes that are suggested to mediate downstream circadian clock processes and to feedback onto the core oscillator. Here, the authors report the characterization of these genes in the zebrafish, an increasingly important model in the field of chronobiology.

Light directs zebrafish period2 expression via conserved D and E boxes.

For most species, light represents the principal environmental signal for entraining the endogenous circadian clock. The zebrafish is a fascinating vertebrate model for studying this process since unlike mammals, direct exposure of most of its tissues to light leads to local clock entrainment. Importantly, light induces the expression of a set of genes including certain clock genes in most zebrafish cell types in vivo and in vitro.