Nasal embryonic LHRH factor plays a role in the developmental migration and projection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone 3 neurons in zebrafish.
The initiation of puberty and the functioning of the reproductive system depend on proper development of the hypophysiotropic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) system. One critical step in this process is the embryonic migration of GnRH neurons from the olfactory area to the hypothalamus. Using a transgenic zebrafish model, Tg(gnrh3:EGFP), in which GnRH3 neurons and axons are fluorescently labeled, we investigated whether zebrafish NELF is essential for the development of GnRH3 neurons. The zebrafish nelf cDNA was cloned and characterized. During embryonic development, nelf is expressed in GnRH3 neurons and in target sites of GnRH3 projections and perikarya, before the initiation of their migration. Nelf knockdown resulted in a disruption of the GnRH3 system which included absence or misguiding of GnRH3 axonal outgrowth and incorrect or arrested migration of GnRH3 perikarya. These results suggest that Nelf is an important factor in the developmental migration and projection of GnRH3 neurons in zebrafish.
Palevitch
Ori
O
Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Abraham
Eytan
E
Borodovsky
Natalya
N
Levkowitz
Gil
G
Zohar
Yonathan
Y
Gothilf
Yoav
Y
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D011761:Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D014157:Transcription Factors; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C448022:gonadotropin-releasing hormone-III; C539174:nsmfb protein, zebrafish; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011761:Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid