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Zebrafish Models for Human Disease Studies
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Zebrafish Models for Human Disease Studies

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 13638

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maria Cristina Guerrera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Messina, Messina, Italy
Interests: zebrafish; genes; neuroanatomy; sensory organs; veterinary sciences
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Although humans may appear to be extremely different from zebrafish, we are actually much more similar to them than you might think. In fact, 70% of human genes are found in zebrafish. The growing number of genetic tools allows for the very quick and efficient modeling of different diseases with a genetic origin. Zebrafish is now a widely recognized model in biomedical research and for numerous human diseases. This small fish possesses multiple advantages which make it an excellent alternative and complementary system to rodents. Moreover, zebrafish have two eyes, a mouth, brain, spinal cord, intestine, pancreas, liver, bile ducts, kidney, esophagus, heart, ear, nose, muscle, blood, bone, cartilage, and teeth. Many of the genes and critical pathways that are required to grow these features are highly conserved between humans and zebrafish. Thus, any type of disease that causes changes in these body parts in humans could theoretically be modeled in zebrafish. Moreover, zebrafish and human immune systems are highly similar, which, together with the optical transparency of larval zebrafish, has made zebrafish a successful model of immune-related diseases which can be visualized in real time.

We invite colleagues from different fields of molecular science working with zebrafish to submit novel research articles or reviews with zebrafish as a model of interest.

Dr. Maria Cristina Guerrera
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • zebrafish
  • human health
  • human disease
  • molecular science

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 12761 KiB  
Article
Vimentin Localization in the Zebrafish Oral Cavity: A Potential Role in Taste Buds Regeneration
by Marialuisa Aragona, Caterina Porcino, Marilena Briglia, Kamel Mhalhel, Francesco Abbate, Maria Levanti, Giuseppe Montalbano, Rosaria Laurà, Eugenia Rita Lauriano, Antonino Germanà and Maria Cristina Guerrera
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(21), 15619; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115619 - 26 Oct 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1274
Abstract
The morphology of the oral cavity of fish is related to their feeding habits. In this context, taste buds are studied for their ability to catch chemical stimuli and their cell renewal capacity. Vimentin RV202 is a protein employed as a marker for [...] Read more.
The morphology of the oral cavity of fish is related to their feeding habits. In this context, taste buds are studied for their ability to catch chemical stimuli and their cell renewal capacity. Vimentin RV202 is a protein employed as a marker for mesenchymal cells that can differentiate along different lineages and to self-renew, while Calretinin N-18 is employed as a marker of sensory cells, and ubiquitin is a protein crucial for guiding the fate of stem cells throughout development. In this study, a surface morphology investigation and an immunohistochemical analysis have been conducted. The results of the present study reveal, for the first time, the presence of Vimentin RV202 in a taste bud cell population of zebrafish. Some taste bud cells are just Vimentin RV202-immunoreactive, while in other cells Vimentin RV202 and Calretinin N-18 colocalize. Some taste buds are just reactive to Calretinin N-18. Vimentin RV202-immunoreactive cells have been observed in the connective layer and in the basal portion of the taste buds. The immunoreactivity of ubiquitin was restricted to sensory cells. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of Vimentin RV202 in the maturation of taste bud cells, its potential involvement in the regeneration of these chemosensory organs, and its eventual synergic work with ubiquitin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zebrafish Models for Human Disease Studies)
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8 pages, 2255 KiB  
Communication
Antiepileptic Properties of Scyllo-Inositol on Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Seizures
by Karol Wiśniewski, Tomasz Antonowski, Judyta Juranek, Piotr Podlasz and Joanna Wojtkiewicz
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(8), 7598; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087598 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1327
Abstract
Epilepsy, with about 70 million affected people worldwide, is one of the biggest challenges of medicine today. It is estimated that about one-third of epileptic patients receive inadequate treatment. Inositols have proved effective in many disorders; hence, in the current study, we tested [...] Read more.
Epilepsy, with about 70 million affected people worldwide, is one of the biggest challenges of medicine today. It is estimated that about one-third of epileptic patients receive inadequate treatment. Inositols have proved effective in many disorders; hence, in the current study, we tested potential antiepileptic properties of scyllo-inositol (SCI)—one of the most common commercially available inositols—in zebrafish larvae with pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures. First, we studied the general effect of SCI on zebrafish motility, and then we tested SCI antiepileptic properties over short (1 h) and long (120 h) exposure protocols. Our results demonstrated that SCI alone does not reduce zebrafish motility regardless of the dose. We also observed that short-term exposure to SCI groups reduced PTZ-treated larva motility compared to controls (p < 0.05). In contrast, prolonged exposure did not produce similar results, likely due to the insufficient concentration of SCI given. Our results highlight the potential of SCI use in epilepsy treatment and warrant further clinical studies with inositols as potential seizure-reducing drugs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zebrafish Models for Human Disease Studies)
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22 pages, 8067 KiB  
Article
Photobiomodulation Reduces the Cytokine Storm Syndrome Associated with COVID-19 in the Zebrafish Model
by Ivana F. Rosa, Ana P. B. Peçanha, Tábata R. B. Carvalho, Leonardo S. Alexandre, Vinícius G. Ferreira, Lucas B. Doretto, Beatriz M. Souza, Rafael T. Nakajima, Patrick da Silva, Ana P. Barbosa, Leticia Gomes-de-Pontes, Camila G. Bomfim, Glaucia M. Machado-Santelli, Antonio Condino-Neto, Cristiane R. Guzzo, Jean P. S. Peron, Magaiver Andrade-Silva, Niels O. S. Câmara, Anali M. B. Garnique, Renata J. Medeiros, Fausto K. Ferraris, Leonardo J. G. Barcellos, Jose D. Correia-Junior, Jorge Galindo-Villegas, Mônica F. R. Machado, Angela Castoldi, Susana L. Oliveira, Camila C. Costa, Marco A. A. Belo, Giovane Galdino, Germán G. Sgro, Natalia F. Bueno, Silas F. Eto, Flávio P. Veras, Bianca H. V. Fernandes, Paulo R. S. Sanches, Eduardo M. Cilli, Guilherme Malafaia, Rafael H. Nóbrega, Aguinaldo S. Garcez, Emanuel Carrilho and Ives Charlie-Silvaadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(7), 6104; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076104 - 24 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3625
Abstract
Although the exact mechanism of the pathogenesis of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is not fully understood, oxidative stress and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been highlighted as playing a vital role in the pathogenesis of the disease. In this sense, alternative treatments are [...] Read more.
Although the exact mechanism of the pathogenesis of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is not fully understood, oxidative stress and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been highlighted as playing a vital role in the pathogenesis of the disease. In this sense, alternative treatments are needed to reduce the level of inflammation caused by COVID-19. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential effect of red photobiomodulation (PBM) as an attractive therapy to downregulate the cytokine storm caused by COVID-19 in a zebrafish model. RT-qPCR analyses and protein–protein interaction prediction among SARS-CoV-2 and Danio rerio proteins showed that recombinant Spike protein (rSpike) was responsible for generating systemic inflammatory processes with significantly increased levels of pro-inflammatory (il1b, il6, tnfa, and nfkbiab), oxidative stress (romo1) and energy metabolism (slc2a1a and coa1) mRNA markers, with a pattern similar to those observed in COVID-19 cases in humans. On the other hand, PBM treatment was able to decrease the mRNA levels of these pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress markers compared with rSpike in various tissues, promoting an anti-inflammatory response. Conversely, PBM promotes cellular and tissue repair of injured tissues and significantly increases the survival rate of rSpike-inoculated individuals. Additionally, metabolomics analysis showed that the most-impacted metabolic pathways between PBM and the rSpike treated groups were related to steroid metabolism, immune system, and lipid metabolism. Together, our findings suggest that the inflammatory process is an incisive feature of COVID-19 and red PBM can be used as a novel therapeutic agent for COVID-19 by regulating the inflammatory response. Nevertheless, the need for more clinical trials remains, and there is a significant gap to overcome before clinical trials can commence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zebrafish Models for Human Disease Studies)
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14 pages, 6777 KiB  
Article
Identification of the Time Period during Which BMP Signaling Regulates Proliferation of Neural Progenitor Cells in Zebrafish
by Hung-Yu Shih, Chia-Wei Chang, Yi-Chieh Chen and Yi-Chuan Cheng
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(2), 1733; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021733 - 15 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2627
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling regulates neural induction, neuronal specification, and neuronal differentiation. However, the role of BMP signaling in neural progenitors remains unclear. This is because interruption of BMP signaling before or during neural induction causes severe effects on subsequent neural developmental [...] Read more.
Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling regulates neural induction, neuronal specification, and neuronal differentiation. However, the role of BMP signaling in neural progenitors remains unclear. This is because interruption of BMP signaling before or during neural induction causes severe effects on subsequent neural developmental processes. To examine the role of BMP signaling in the development of neural progenitors in zebrafish, we bypassed the effect of BMP signaling on neural induction and suppressed BMP signaling at different time points during gastrulation using a temporally controlled transgenic line carrying a dominant-negative form of Bmp receptor type 1aa and a chemical inhibitor of BMP signaling, DMH1. Inhibiting BMP signaling from 8 hpf could bypass BMP regulation on neural induction, induce the number of proliferating neural progenitors, and reduce the number of neuronal precursors. Inhibiting BMP signaling upregulates the expression of the Notch downstream gene hairy/E(spl)-related 2 (her2). Inhibiting Notch signaling or knocking down the Her2 function reduced neural progenitor proliferation, whereas inactivating BMP signaling in Notch-Her2 deficient background restored the number of proliferating neural progenitors. These results reveal the time window for the proliferation of neural progenitors during zebrafish development and a fine balance between BMP and Notch signaling in regulating the proliferation of neural progenitor cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zebrafish Models for Human Disease Studies)
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Review

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26 pages, 1096 KiB  
Review
Zebrafish as a Model of Cardiac Pathology and Toxicity: Spotlight on Uremic Toxins
by Annapaola Coppola, Patrizia Lombari, Elvira Mazzella, Giovanna Capolongo, Mariadelina Simeoni, Alessandra F. Perna, Diego Ingrosso and Margherita Borriello
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5656; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065656 - 16 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4031
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an increasing health care problem. About 10% of the general population is affected by CKD, representing the sixth cause of death in the world. Cardiovascular events are the main mortality cause in CKD, with a cardiovascular risk 10 [...] Read more.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an increasing health care problem. About 10% of the general population is affected by CKD, representing the sixth cause of death in the world. Cardiovascular events are the main mortality cause in CKD, with a cardiovascular risk 10 times higher in these patients than the rate observed in healthy subjects. The gradual decline of the kidney leads to the accumulation of uremic solutes with a negative effect on every organ, especially on the cardiovascular system. Mammalian models, sharing structural and functional similarities with humans, have been widely used to study cardiovascular disease mechanisms and test new therapies, but many of them are rather expensive and difficult to manipulate. Over the last few decades, zebrafish has become a powerful non-mammalian model to study alterations associated with human disease. The high conservation of gene function, low cost, small size, rapid growth, and easiness of genetic manipulation are just some of the features of this experimental model. More specifically, embryonic cardiac development and physiological responses to exposure to numerous toxin substances are similar to those observed in mammals, making zebrafish an ideal model to study cardiac development, toxicity, and cardiovascular disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zebrafish Models for Human Disease Studies)
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