title: Introduction of aequorin into zebrafish embryos for recording Ca(2+) signaling during the first 48 h of development.
abstract: Ca(2+) signals, whether transient pulses, propagating waves, or long-duration, steady gradients, are generally considered to play an important role in the pattern-forming events that occur during vertebrate development. One vertebrate that has long been a favorite of embryologists because of its ex utero development and the optical clarity of its embryos is the zebrafish, Danio rerio. Using the bioluminescent Ca(2+) reporter aequorin, distinct Ca(2+) signals have been reported for at least the first 48 h of zebrafish development, with signals becoming progressively more complex as the embryo develops. Here we provide a general introduction to aequorin and its use in monitoring Ca(2+) signals and discuss methods for introducing aequorin into zebrafish embryos.
authors: Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. barnie@ust.hk
authors: Sarah E
authors: SE
authors: Webb
authors: Ching Man
authors: CM
authors: Chan
authors: Andrew L
authors: AL
authors: Miller
mesh_terms: D000331:Aequorin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015509:Developmental Biology / Q000379:methods*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000331:Aequorin; D002118:Calcium