[Initial study on zili functions to the development of the germ layers during zebrafish early embryogenesis].
OBJECTIVE
To study the role for piwil2 gene (zili) in the development of the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm during early embryogenesis of zebrafish.


METHODS
zili morpholino antisense oligonucleotide and 5 mis-pair control morpholino were used in this study. zili was cloned into expression vector. zili mRNA was synthesized in vitro. The antisense RNA probes of gsc, evel and sox17 were synthesized. zili-MO, zili-cMO and zili mRNA was microinjected into one-cell embryos, respectively. Whole-mount in situ hybridization was used to monitor the expressions of marker genes.


RESULTS
Microinjection of zili-MO, which knocked down the expression of zili, downregulated the expression of the ectodermal and mesodermal marker gene gsc, promoting the expression of the ectodermal marker gene evel and resulting in the decrease of endodermal cell expressed sox17. The overexpression of zili, promoting the expression of gsc, inhibiting the expression of eve1 and resulting in the decrease of endodermal cell expressed sox17 were observed after microinjection of zili-mRNA.


CONCLUSIONS
zili might have some effect on the formation of the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm during early embryogenesis and might be important for normal embryonic development.
Department of Medical Genetics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Dan
D
Li
Hua-qin
HQ
Sun
Jun
J
Zhao
Yi-lu
YL
Lu
Wen-qian
WQ
Deng
Yong-xin
YX
Ma
D000818:Animals; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000166:cytology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D047108:Embryonic Development; D004707:Endoderm / Q000166:cytology; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
C532956:Piwil2 protein, zebrafish; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins