Transgenic expression of walleye dermal sarcoma virus rv-cyclin (orfA) in zebrafish does not result in tissue proliferation.
Walleye dermal sarcoma (WDS) is a benign tumor of walleye fish that develops and completely regresses seasonally. The retrovirus associated with this disease, walleye dermal sarcoma virus, encodes three accessory genes, two of which, rv-cyclin (orfA) and orfb, are thought to play a role in tumor development. In this study, we attempted to recapitulate WDS development by expressing rv-cyclin in chimeric and stable transgenic zebrafish. Six stable transgenic lines expressing rv-cyclin from the constitutive CMVtk promoter were generated. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction demonstrate that rv-cyclin is widely expressed in different tissues in these fish. These lines were viable and histologically normal for up to 2 years. No increase in tumors or tissue proliferation was observed following N-ethyl N-nitrosourea exposure or following tail wounding and subsequent tissue regeneration compared to controls. These data indicate that rv-cyclin is not independently sufficient for tumor induction in zebrafish.
Paul
Thomas A
TA
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Rovnak
Joel
J
Quackenbush
Sandra L
SL
Whitlock
Kathleen
K
Zhan
Huiqing
H
Gong
Zhiyuan
Z
Spitsbergen
Jan
J
Bowser
Paul R
PR
Casey
James W
JW
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D030283:Epsilonretrovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005814:Genes, Viral; D012038:Regeneration / Q000235:genetics; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D013623:Tail / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D014764:Viral Proteins