T cell neoplasias are common in pediatric oncology, and include acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL). These cancers have worse prognoses than their B cell counterparts, and their treatments carry significant morbidity. While many pediatric malignancies have characteristic translocations, most T lymphocyte-derived diseases lack cytogenetic hallmarks. Lacking these informative lesions, insight into their molecular pathogenesis is less complete. Although dysregulation of the NOTCH1 pathway occurs in a substantial fraction of cases, many other genetic lesions of T cell malignancy have not yet been determined. To address this deficiency, we pioneered a phenotype-driven forward-genetic screen in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Using transgenic fish with T lymphocyte-specific expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), we performed chemical mutagenesis, screened animals for GFP+ tumors, and identified multiple lines with a heritable predisposition to T cell malignancy. In each line, patterns of infiltration and morphologic appearance resembled human T-ALL and T-LBL. T cell receptor analyses confirmed their clonality. Malignancies were transplantable and contained leukemia-initiating cells (LIC), like their human correlates. In summary, we have identified multiple zebrafish mutants that recapitulate human T cell neoplasia and show heritable transmission. These vertebrate models provide new genetic platforms for the study of these important human cancers.

T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a challenging clinical entity with high rates of induction failure and relapse. To discover genetic changes occurring in T-ALL, and those contributing to relapse, we studied zebrafish (Danio rerio) T-ALL samples using array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). We performed aCGH on 17 T-ALLs from 4 zebrafish T-ALL models, and evaluated similarities between fish and humans by comparing all D. rerio genes with copy number aberrations (CNAs) to a cohort of 75 published human T-ALLs analyzed by aCGH. Within all D. rerio CNAs, we identified 893 genes with human homologues and found significant overlap (67%) with the human CNA dataset. In addition, when we restricted analysis to primary T-ALLs (14 zebrafish and 61 human samples), 10 genes were recurrently altered in >3 zebrafish cancers and ≥4 human cases, suggesting a conserved role for these loci in T-ALL transformation across species. We also conducted iterative allo-transplantation with 3 zebrafish malignancies. This technique selects for aggressive disease, resulting in shorter survival times in successive transplant rounds and modeling refractory and relapsed human T-ALL. Fifty-five percent of original CNAs were preserved after serial transplantation, demonstrating clonality between each primary and passaged leukemia. Cancers acquired an average of 34 new CNAs during passaging. Genes in these loci may underlie the enhanced malignant behavior of these neoplasias. We also compared genes from CNAs of passaged zebrafish malignancies to aCGH results from 50 human T-ALL patients who failed induction, relapsed, or would eventually relapse. Again, many genes (88/164) were shared by both datasets. Further, 9 recurrently altered genes in passaged D. rerio T-ALL were also found in multiple human T-ALL cases. These results suggest that zebrafish and human T-ALLs are similar at the genomic level, and are governed by factors that have persisted throughout evolution.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become an increasingly important model for immunological study. Its immune system is remarkably similar to that of mammals and includes both the adaptive and innate branches. Zebrafish T cells express functional T cell receptors (TCR), and all four TCR loci are present within the genome. Using 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends, we cloned and sequenced zebrafish TCRbeta transcripts. TCRbeta VDJ coding joints demonstrate conservation of mechanisms used by other vertebrate species to increase junctional diversity. Using the sequences obtained, along with previously published data, we comprehensively annotated the zebrafish TCRbeta locus. Overall, organization of the locus resembles that seen in mammals. There are 51 V segments, a single D segment, 27 Jbeta1 segments, a single Jbeta2 segment, and two constant regions. This description of the zebrafish TCRbeta locus has the potential to enhance immunological research in zebrafish and further our understanding of mammalian TCR repertoire generation.

Objective-Preterm delivery is often associated with increased cytokine and chemokine production. These studies sought to characterize the expression of the chemokine, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), in mice during lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced preterm delivery.Methods-Uterine and other tissues were harvested from CD-1 mice on gestational day 15 after intrauterine LPS injection. Quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reactions (qRT-PCR) determined MCP-1 and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA expression during the 24 hours after LPS. MCP-1 protein expression was determined using a cytokine/chemokine protein array, by ELISA and by immunohistochemistry.Results-Intrauterine LPS injection caused preterm delivery in CD-1 mice between 12 and 24 hours. Expression of MCP-1 mRNA significantly increased at 2 and 6 hours, while TLR4 expression did not significantly change over 24 hours. MCP-1 protein levels peaked by 2 to 6 hours in maternal serum, liver, lung, kidney and uterus. Immunohistochemistry confirmed MCP-1 in myometrium and endometrium.Discussion-These studies have provided evidence suggesting that MCP-1 potentially plays an important role during the proinflammatory immune response leading to preterm labor in the mouse.

Genomic instability plays a crucial role in oncogenesis. Somatically acquired mutations can disable some genes and inappropriately activate others. In addition, chromosomal rearrangements can amplify, delete, or even fuse genes, altering their functions and contributing to malignant phenotypes. Using array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), a technique to detect numeric variations between different DNA samples, we examined genomes from zebrafish (Danio rerio) T-cell leukemias of three cancer-prone lines. In all malignancies tested, we identified recurring amplifications of a zebrafish endogenous retrovirus. This retrovirus, ZFERV, was first identified due to high expression of proviral transcripts in thymic tissue from larval and adult fish. We confirmed ZFERV amplifications by quantitative PCR analyses of DNA from wild-type fish tissue and normal and malignant D. rerio T cells. We also quantified ZFERV RNA expression and found that normal and neoplastic T cells both produce retrovirally encoded transcripts, but most cancers show dramatically increased transcription. In aggregate, these data imply that ZFERV amplification and transcription may be related to T-cell leukemogenesis. Based on these data and ZFERV's phylogenetic relation to viruses of the murine-leukemia-related virus class of gammaretroviridae, we posit that ZFERV may be oncogenic via an insertional mutagenesis mechanism.

Preterm delivery (PTD) has been associated with inflammation along with activation of the coagulation pathway. These studies sought to characterize the expression of several coagulation pathway genes including plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), tissue factor (TF), protease-activated receptor 1 (Par1), protease-activated receptor 2 (Par2), fibrinogen-like protein 2 (Fgl2), and thrombomodulin (TM) during lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced PTD in day 15 pregnant CD-1 mice. Western blot studies confirmed protein expression for PAI-1, Par1, Par2, Fgl2, and TM in the mouse uterus. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed increased PAI-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) in the uteri, lung, kidney, and liver tissues at 2 to 6 hours after LPS injection. In contrast, TF expression significantly decreased by 12 hours in uterine tissue; whereas, its expression was unchanged in the other maternal tissues. The uterine mRNA for Par1, Par2, Fgl2, and TM remained stable. In summary, these studies have confirmed expression of coagulation pathway genes within the pregnant uterus; some of which are modulated during LPS-induced PTD.

The intrauterine expression of PLSCR3 and PLSCR4 provides a dynamic mechanism by which aminophospholipid translocation can be regulated, thereby modulating the activity of various membrane proteins that are involved in inflammation and coagulation-related events.

Activated phospholipase Cγ1 (PLC-γ1), produced in response to tyrosine phosphorylation, appears to play an important role during uterine contractions. These studies sought to determine which non-receptor protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) are involved in the tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of PLC-γ1 in uterine tissue from the rat. In vitro uterine contraction studies were performed utilizing isoform specific PTK inhibitors. Western blots were performed utilizing antibodies to phosphotyrosine-PLC-γ1, total PLC-γ1, c-Src kinase and Lck kinase. Spontaneous, stretch-stimulated, and bpV(phen) (a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor) enhanced uterine contractions were significantly suppressed in response to Damnacanthal (a Lck kinase inhibitor) and PP1 (a c-Src kinase inhibitor); whereas, several other PTK isoform inhibitors had no significant effect. Damnacanthal and PP1 also significantly suppressed bpV(phen)-enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC-γ1 compared to other PTK isoform inhibitors. Western blots confirmed expression of the Lck and c-Src kinases in uterine tissue. In conclusion, the Lck and c-Src kinases appear to play an important role in regulating tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC-γ1 and contractile activity in the rat uterus.