|
KMID : 0613820080180091219
|
|
Journal of Life Science
2008 Volume.18 No. 9 p.1219 ~ p.1224
|
|
|
Involvement of a LiCl-Induced Phosphoprotein in Pigmentation of the Embryonic Zebrafish (Dania rerio)
|
|
Jin Eun-Jung
Thibaudeau Giselle
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
The embryonic zebrafish (Danio rerio) is rapidly becoming an important model organism for studies of early events in vertebrate development. Neural crest-derived pigment cell precursors of the embryonic zebrafish give rise to melanophores, xanthophores, and/or iridophores. Cell-signaling mechanisms related to the development of pigmentation and pigment pattern formation remain obscure. In this study, zebrafish embryos were treated with various signaling-related molecules - LiCl (an inositol-phosphatase inhibitor), forskolin (a protein kinase-A activator), a combination of LiCl/forskolin, and LiCl/heparin (an IP₃ inhibitor) in order to identify the mechanisms involved in pigmentation. LiCl treatment resulted in ultrastructural and morphological alterations of melanophores. To identify the possible proteins responsible for this ultrastructural and morphological change, phosphorylation patterns in vitro and in vivo were analyzed. LiCl and LiCl/forskolin treatment elicited dramatic increases in the phosphorylation of a 55-kDa protein which was inhibited by heparin treatment. LiCl treatment also induced phosphorylation of a 55-kDa protein in melanophores purified from adult zebrafish. Collectively these results suggest that a LiCl-induced 55-kDa phosphoprotein plays a role in melanophore morphology and ultrastructure and ultimately effects gross pigmentation.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
Cell-signaling, LiCl, phosphorylation, pigmentation, zebrafish, 55-kDa protein
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|