title: Zebrafish midbrain slow-amplifying progenitors exhibit high levels of transcripts for nucleotide and ribosome biogenesis.
abstract: Investigating neural stem cell (NSC) behaviour in vivo, which is a major area of research, requires NSC models to be developed. We carried out a multilevel characterisation of the zebrafish embryo peripheral midbrain layer (PML) and identified a unique vertebrate progenitor population. Located dorsally in the transparent embryo midbrain, these large slow-amplifying progenitors (SAPs) are accessible for long-term in vivo imaging. They form a neuroepithelial layer adjacent to the optic tectum, which has transitory fast-amplifying progenitors (FAPs) at its margin. The presence of these SAPs and FAPs in separate domains provided the opportunity to data mine the ZFIN expression pattern database for SAP markers, which are co-expressed in the retina. Most of them are involved in nucleotide synthesis, or encode nucleolar and ribosomal proteins. A mutant for the cad gene, which is strongly expressed in the PML, reveals severe midbrain defects with massive apoptosis and sustained proliferation. We discuss how fish midbrain and retina progenitors might derive from ancient sister cell types and have specific features that are not shared with other SAPs.
authors.affiliation: CNRS, UPR3294 Unité Neurobiologie et Développement, F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Gaëlle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Recher
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jouralet
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brombin
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heuzé
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mugniery
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hermel
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Desnoulez
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Savy
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Herbomel
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bourrat
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Peyriéras
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jamen
authors.forename: Jean-Stéphane
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Joly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008938:Mitosis; D009024:Morphogenesis; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*
keywords: Neural stem cell; Optic tectum; Retina