Over the last years the zebrafish imposed itself as a powerful model to study skeletal diseases, but a limit to its use is the poor characterization of collagen type I, the most abundant protein in bone and skin. In tetrapods collagen type I is a trimer mainly composed of two α1 chains and one α2 chain, encoded by COL1A1 and COL1A2 genes, respectively. In contrast, in zebrafish three type I collagen genes exist, col1a1a, col1a1b and col1a2 coding for α1(I), α3(I) and α2(I) chains. During embryonic and larval development the three collagen type I genes showed a similar spatio-temporal expression pattern, indicating their co-regulation and interdependence at these stages. In both embryonic and adult tissues, the presence of the three α(I) chains was demonstrated, although in embryos α1(I) was present in two distinct glycosylated states, suggesting a developmental-specific collagen composition. Even though in adult bone, skin and scales equal amounts of α1(I), α3(I) and α2(I) chains are present, the presented data suggest a tissue-specific stoichiometry and/or post-translational modification status for collagen type I. In conclusion, this data will be useful to properly interpret results and insights gained from zebrafish models of skeletal diseases.

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SMYD3 is a methylase previously linked to cancer cell invasion and migration. Here we show that SMYD3 favors TGFβ-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in mammary epithelial cells, promoting mesenchymal and EMT transcription factors expression. SMYD3 directly interacts with SMAD3 but it is unnecessary for SMAD2/3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Conversely, SMYD3 is indispensable for SMAD3 direct association to EMT genes regulatory regions. Accordingly, SMYD3 knockdown or its pharmacological blockade with the BCI121 inhibitor dramatically reduce TGFβ-induced SMAD3 association to the chromatin. Remarkably, BCI121 treatment attenuates mesenchymal genes transcription in the mesenchymal-like MDA-MB-231 cell line and reduces their invasive ability in vivo, in a zebrafish xenograft model. In addition, clinical datasets analysis revealed that higher SMYD3 levels are linked to a less favorable prognosis in claudin-low breast cancers and to a reduced metastasis free survival in breast cancer patients. Overall, our data point at SMYD3 as a pivotal SMAD3 cofactor that promotes TGFβ-dependent mesenchymal gene expression and cell migration in breast cancer, and support SMYD3 as a promising pharmacological target for anti-cancer therapy.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) caused by amyloid beta (Abeta) deposition around brain microvessels results in vascular degenerative changes. Antiangiogenic Abeta properties are known to contribute to the compromised cerebrovascular architecture. Here we hypothesize that Abeta peptides impair angiogenesis by causing endothelial cells to enter senescence at an early stage of vascular development. Wild-type (WT) Abeta and its mutated variant E22Q peptide, endowed with marked vascular tropism, were used in this study. In vivo, in zebrafish embryos, the WT or E22Q peptides reduced embryo survival with an IC(50) of 6.1 and 4.7 microM, respectively. The 2.5 microM concentration, showing minimal toxicity, was chosen. Alkaline phosphatase staining revealed disorganized vessel patterning, narrowing, and reduced branching of vessels. Beta-galactosidase staining and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 expression, indicative of senescence, were increased. In vitro, WT and E22Q reduced endothelial cell survival with an IC(50) of 12.3 and 8.8 microM, respectively. The 5 microM concentration, devoid of acute effects on the endothelium, was applied chronically to long-term cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We observed reduced cumulative population doubling, which coincided with beta-galactosidase accumulation, down-regulation of telomerase reverse-transcriptase mRNA expression, decreased telomerase activity, and p21 activation. Senescent HUVECs showed marked angiogenesis impairment, as Abeta treatment reduced tube sprouting. The endothelial injuries caused by the E22Q peptide were much more aggressive than those induced by the WT peptide. Premature Abeta-induced senescence of the endothelium, producing progressive alterations of microvessel morphology and functions, may represent one of the underlying mechanisms for sporadic or heritable CAA.

Background: Prox1, the vertebrate homolog of prospero in Drosophila melanogaster, is a divergent homeogene that regulates cell proliferation, fate determination and differentiation during vertebrate embryonic development.

Objective-Lymphangiogenesis is regulated by transcription factors and by growth factor pathways, but their interplay has not been extensively studied so far. We addressed this issue in zebrafish. Approach and Results-Mutations in the transcription factor-coding gene SOX18 and in VEGFR3 cause lymphedema, and the VEGFR3/Flt4 ligand VEGFC plays an evolutionarily conserved role in lymphangiogenesis. Here, we report a strong genetic interaction between Sox18 and VegfC in the early phases of lymphatic development in zebrafish. Knockdown of sox18 selectively impaired lymphatic sprouting from the cardinal vein and resulted in defective lymphatic thoracic duct formation. Sox18 and the related protein Sox7 play redundant roles in arteriovenous differentiation. We used a novel transgenic line that enables inducible expression of a dominant-negative mutant form of mouse Sox18 protein. Our data led us to conclude that Sox18 is crucially involved in lymphangiogenesis after arteriovenous differentiation. Combined partial knockdown of sox18 and vegfc, using subcritical doses of specific morpholinos, revealed a synergistic interaction in both venous and lymphatic sprouting from the cardinal vein and greatly impaired thoracic duct formation. Conclusions-This interaction suggests a previously unappreciated crosstalk between the growth factor and transcription factor pathways that regulate lymphangiogenesis in development and disease. (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2013;33:1238-1247.)

Overall, our findings indicate that ADAP2 has a role in heart development, and might be a reliable candidate gene for the occurrence of cardiovascular malformations in patients with NF1 microdeletion and, more generally, for the occurrence of a subset of congenital heart defects.

Injection of human THRA variants in zebrafish embryos causes tissue-specific defects recapitulating most of the RTHα clinical and biochemical manifestations. The described manipulation of zebrafish embryos represents a novel in vivo model to screen the functional consequences of THRA variants and the rescue potential of new therapeutic compounds.