Dual roles of the retinal pigment epithelium and lens in cavefish eye degeneration

Ma, Li; Ng, Mandy; Weele, Corine M. van der; Yoshizawa, Masato; Jeffery, William R.

doi:10.1002/jez.b.22923

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 71 publications

(139 reference statements)

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“…4 c) can be used to identify maternal effects [ 32 ]. Hybridization followed by artificial selection can generate strains with combined surface fish and cavefish traits [ 47 ], which are useful to investigate antagonistic tradeoffs [ 48 ].…”

Section: Experimental Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Astyanax surface and cave fish morphs

Jeffery

2020

EvoDevo

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The small teleost fish Astyanax mexicanus has emerged as an outstanding model for studying many biological topics in the context of evolution. A major attribute is conspecific surface dwelling (surface fish) and blind cave dwelling (cavefish) morphs that can be raised in the laboratory and spawn large numbers of transparent and synchronously developing embryos. More than 30 cavefish populations have been discovered, mostly in northeastern Mexico, and some are thought to have evolved independently from surface fish ancestors, providing excellent models of parallel and convergent evolution. Cavefish have evolved eye and pigmentation regression, as well as modifications in brain morphology, behaviors, heart regenerative capacity, metabolic processes, and craniofacial organization. Thus, the Astyanax model provides researchers with natural "mutants" to study life in the challenging cave environment. The application of powerful genetic approaches based on hybridization between the two morphs and between the different cavefish populations are key advantages for deciphering the developmental and genetic mechanisms regulating trait evolution. QTL analysis has revealed the genetic architectures of gained and lost traits. In addition, some cavefish traits resemble human diseases, offering novel models for biomedical research. Astyanax research is supported by genome assemblies, transcriptomes, tissue and organ transplantation, gene manipulation and editing, and stable transgenesis, and benefits from a welcoming and interactive research community that conducts integrated community projects and sponsors the International Astyanax Meeting (AIM).

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Section: Experimental Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Astyanax surface and cave fish morphs

Jeffery

2020

EvoDevo

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“…Lens transplantation restores retinal lamination, photoreceptor and retina cell development, and rod cell differentiation (Strickler et al 2007, Yamamoto & Jeffery 2000. However, extraction of the lens of surface fish does not cause apoptosis of the fish retina (Strickler et al 2007), and it was later discovered that the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) also provides signals that coordinate proper eye development; F2 cave/surface hybrids that lack RPE have smaller eyes after lens removal than those with intact RPE (Ma et al 2020b). The current understanding at the cellular level is that defects in the lens and RPE play a dual role in eye degeneration.…”

Section: Eye Lossmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Mexican Tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, as a Model System in Cell and Developmental Biology

Perera

Guerra

Riddle

2023

Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol.

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Our understanding of cell and developmental biology has been greatly aided by a focus on a small number of model organisms. However, we are now in an era where techniques to investigate gene function can be applied across phyla, allowing scientists to explore the diversity and flexibility of developmental mechanisms and gain a deeper understanding of life. Researchers comparing the eyeless cave-adapted Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, with its river-dwelling counterparts are revealing how the development of the eye, pigment, brain, cranium, blood, and digestive system evolves as animals adapt to new environments. Breakthroughs in our understanding of the genetic and developmental basis of regressive and constructive trait evolution have come from A. mexicanus research. They include understanding the types of mutations that alter traits, which cellular and developmental processes they affect, and how they lead to pleiotropy. We review recent progress in the field and highlight areas for future investigations that include evolution of sex differentiation, neural crest development, and metabolic regulation of embryogenesis. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology, Volume 39 is October 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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“…Until 20 h post-fertilization (hpf), the eye development in cavefish and surface fish is quite similar, however, after 40 hpf, the cavefish lens enters apoptosis, leading to a progressive degeneration process that results in absence of eyes in the adult phase 27 – 34 . This process was addressed under different approaches, including studies in retinal morphology and development 31 , 34 – 37 , lens defects and transplants 31 , 33 , 38 , 39 , quantitative trait loci analysis (QLTs) 28 , 40 , 41 , genomics 34 , 42 – 45 and gene expression and transcriptomics 31 , 34 , 35 , 46 – 52 . As such, many genes are suggested to have a relevant role in eye development and degeneration, that includes, but not restricted to, the crystallin genes αA-crys, cryaa, crybb1, crybb1c and crybgx 31 , 52 , 53 , transcription factor sox2 53 , retinal homeobox rx3 42 , 45 , cone-rod homeobox crx 50 , 52 , cbsa 34 and dusp26 45 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovery of putative long non-coding RNAs expressed in the eyes of Astyanax mexicanus (Actinopterygii: Characidae)

Silva

Barbosa

Kavalco

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Astyanax mexicanus is a well-known model species, that has two morphotypes, cavefish, from subterranean rivers and surface fish, from surface rivers. They are morphologically distinct due to many troglomorphic traits in the cavefish, such as the absence of eyes. Most studies on A. mexicanus are focused on eye development and protein-coding genes involved in the process. However, lncRNAs did not get the same attention and very little is known about them. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap, identifying, describing, classifying, and annotating lncRNAs expressed in the embryo’s eye tissue of cavefish and surface fish. To do so, we constructed a concise workflow to assemble and evaluate transcriptomes, annotate protein-coding genes, ncRNAs families, predict the coding potential, identify putative lncRNAs, map them and predict interactions. This approach resulted in the identification of 33,069 and 19,493 putative lncRNAs respectively mapped in cavefish and surface fish. Thousands of these lncRNAs were annotated and identified as conserved in human and several species of fish. Hundreds of them were validated in silico, through ESTs. We identified lncRNAs associated with genes related to eye development. This is the case of a few lncRNAs associated with sox2, which we suggest being isomorphs of the SOX2-OT, a lncRNA that can regulate the expression of sox2. This work is one of the first studies to focus on the description of lncRNAs in A. mexicanus, highlighting several lncRNA targets and opening an important precedent for future studies focusing on lncRNAs expressed in A. mexicanus.

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Dual roles of the retinal pigment epithelium and lens in cavefish eye degeneration

Cited by 10 publications

References 71 publications

Astyanax surface and cave fish morphs

Astyanax surface and cave fish morphs

The Mexican Tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, as a Model System in Cell and Developmental Biology

Discovery of putative long non-coding RNAs expressed in the eyes of Astyanax mexicanus (Actinopterygii: Characidae)

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