title: Use of TSHβ:EGFP transgenic zebrafish as a rapid in vivo model for assessing thyroid-disrupting chemicals.
abstract: Accumulating evidence indicates that a wide range of chemicals have the ability to interfere with the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis. Novel endpoints should be evaluated in addition to existing methods in order to effectively assess the effects of these chemicals on the HPT axis. Thyroid-stimulating hormone subunit β (TSHβ) plays central regulatory roles in the HPT system. We identified the regulatory region that determines the expression level of zebrafish TSHβ in the anterior pituitary. In the transgenic zebrafish with EGFP driven by the TSHβ promoter, the similar responsive patterns between the expression levels of TSHβ:EGFP and endogenous TSHβ mRNA in the pituitary are observed following treatments with goitrogen chemicals and exogenous thyroid hormones (THs). These results suggest that the TSHβ:EGFP transgenic reporter zebrafish may be a useful alternative in vivo model for the assessment of chemicals interfering with the HPT system.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Jiangyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Zhan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D023421:Models, Animal; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D037322:Thyrotropin, beta Subunit / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D037322:Thyrotropin, beta Subunit; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins