title: Generation and characterization of gsuα:EGFP transgenic zebrafish for evaluating endocrine-disrupting effects.
abstract: The glycoprotein subunit α (gsuα) gene encodes the shared α subunit of the three pituitary heterodimeric glycoprotein hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone β (Fshβ), luteinizing hormone β (Lhβ) and thyroid stimulating hormone β (Tshβ). In our current study, we identified and characterized the promoter region of zebrafish gsuα and generated a stable gsuα:EGFP transgenic line, which recapitulated the endogenous gsuα expression in the early developing pituitary gland. A relatively conserved regulatory element set is presented in the promoter regions of zebrafish and three other known mammalian gsuα promoters. Our results also demonstrated that the expression patterns of the gsuα:EGFP transgene were all identical to those expression patterns of the endogenous gsuα expression in the pituitary tissue when our transgenic fish were treated with various endocrine chemicals, including forskolin (FSK), SP600125, trichostatin A (TSA), KClO4, dexamethasone (Dex), β-estradiol and progesterone. Thus, this gsuα:EGFP transgenic fish reporter line provides another valuable tool for investigating the lineage development of gsuα-expressing gonadotrophins and the coordinated regulation of various glycoprotein hormone subunit genes. These reporter fish can serve as a novel platform to perform screenings of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in vivo as well.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Jiangyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Ningbo Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, China. Electronic address: zyin@ihb.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Zhan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D015292:Glycoprotein Hormones, alpha Subunit / Q000235:genetics*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D015292:Glycoprotein Hormones, alpha Subunit; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins
keywords: Endocrine disrupting; Pituitary hormone; Transgenic zebrafish; gsuα expression; gsuα promoter