title: Effect of chilling on sox2, sox3 and sox19a gene expression in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos.
abstract: Zebrafish embryos have not been cryopreserved due to their structural limitations. Although embryo survival rates have been used as the measured outcome for most of the cryopreservation protocols studied, there are very limited data available at the molecular level. This study focused on the effect of chilling and subsequent warming on gene expression of sox2, sox3 and sox19a which play vital roles in the development of zebrafish embryos. A quantitative RT-PCR approach was used to investigate gene expression following chilling at 0°C for up to 180 min. The effect on gene expression was also studied during a 180 min warming period after chilling for 30 or 60 min. There were significant decreases in sox2 (up to 4-fold) and sox3 (up to 3-fold) expressions following chilling. Significant increases in gene expressions of sox2 (up to 2-fold), sox3 (up to 33-fold) and sox19a (up to 25-fold) were observed during warming in the embryos that had been chilled for 30 min. Similarly, significant increases were observed in sox2 (up to 3-fold) and sox3 (up to 2-fold) during warming in embryos that had been chilled for 60 min. These increases may be explained by compensation for the suppression observed during chilling and/or to activate repair mechanisms or maintain homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: LIRANS Institute of Research in the Applied Natural Sciences, University of Bedfordshire, 250 Butterfield, Great Marlings, Luton, Bedfordshire LU2 8DL, UK. kunjan.desai@beds.ac.uk
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spikings
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D055747:SOX Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D055747:SOX Transcription Factors; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors; C092320:Sox19a protein, zebrafish; C544611:Sox2 protein, zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins