Zebrafish erythropoiesis and the utility of fish as models of anemia

Abstract

Erythrocytes contain oxygen-carrying hemoglobin to all body cells. Impairments in the generation of erythrocytes, a process known as erythropoiesis, or in hemoglobin synthesis alter cell function because of decreased oxygen supply and lead to anemic diseases. Thus, understanding how erythropoiesis is regulated during embryogenesis and adulthood is important to develop novel therapies for anemia. The zebrafish, Danio rerio, provides a powerful model for such study. Their small size and the ability to generate a large number of embryos enable large-scale analysis, and their transparency facilitates the visualization of erythroid cell migration. Importantly, the high conservation of hematopoietic genes among vertebrates and the ability to successfully transplant hematopoietic cells into fish have enabled the establishment of models of human anemic diseases in fish. In this review, we summarize the current progress in our understanding of erythropoiesis on the basis of zebrafish studies and highlight fish models of human anemias. These analyses could enable the discovery of novel drugs as future therapies.

The Megalobrama amblycephala transferrin and transferrin receptor genes: Molecular cloning, characterization and expression during early development and after Aeromonas hydrophila infection

“…Noteworthily, the expression patterns of the M. amblycephala TfR and Tf genes during early development were somewhat similar, which may be related with their interconnected roles in iron metabolism and erythropoiesis. Zebrafish primitive hematopoiesis starts in the intermediate cell mass (ICM), which primarily develops into erythroid cells between 12 and 24 hpf (Kulkeaw and Sugiyama, 2012), consistently, the expression of the M. amblycephala Tf and TfR increased before hatching. By 4 dpf, myeloerythroid lineages progressively appeared in the kidney, the major hematopoietic organ of adult zebrafish (Willett et al, 1999), which is in accord with the peak level of M. amblycephala Tf and TfR at 2 dph.…”

The metabolites of glutamine prevent hydroxyl radical-induced apoptosis through inhibiting mitochondria and calcium ion involved pathways in fish erythrocytes

“…Erythrocytes carry hemoglobin (Hb) to supply oxygen to all tissues and organs [17]. However, erythrocytes are continuously exposed to both endogenous and exogenous sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [18].…”

New insights on hereditary erythrocyte membrane defects

“…73 Notably, the high conservation of hematopoietic genes among vertebrates and the ability to successfully transplant hematopoietic cells have enabled the establishment of models of human anemic diseases in zebrafish (Table 2). Recently, zebrafish models have also been created for PIEZO1.…”