A comprehensive analysis of neurotrophins and neurotrophin tyrosine kinase receptors expression during development of zebrafish

• Published in: Journal of comparative neurology (1911) Vol. 526; no. 6; pp. 1057 - 1072
• Main Authors: Nittoli, Valeria, Sepe, Rosa M., Coppola, Ugo, D'Agostino, Ylenia, De Felice, Elena, Palladino, Antonio, Vassalli, Quirino A., Locascio, Annamaria, Ristoratore, Filomena, Spagnuolo, Antonietta, D'Aniello, Salvatore, Sordino, Paolo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 15.04.2018
• Subjects: Animals; Danio rerio; development; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Embryos; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - physiology; Growth factors; Humans; Nerve Growth Factors - genetics; Nerve Growth Factors - metabolism; Neurotrophic factors; neurotrophin tyrosine kinase receptors; neurotrophins; Phylogeny; Protein-tyrosine kinase; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - genetics; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - metabolism; Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor - genetics; Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; RRID:SCR_008439; Signal transduction; Transduction; zebrafish; Zebrafish - growth & development; Zebrafish - metabolism; phylogeny; development; zebrafish; neurotrophins; neurotrophin tyrosine kinase receptors; RRID:SCR_008439
• ISSN: 0021-9967; 1096-9861
• DOI: 10.1002/cne.24391

Neurotrophins (NTF) are a family of secreted nerve growth factors with affinity for tyrosine kinase (Ntrk) and p75 receptors. To fully understand the variety of developmental roles played by NTFs, it is critical to know when and where genes encoding individual ligands and receptors are transcribed. Identification of ntf and ntrk transcripts in zebrafish development remains to be fully characterized for further uncovering the potential function(s) of the NTF signal transduction pathway. Here, we conducted a systematic analysis of the expression profiles of four ntf and five ntrk genes during zebrafish development using whole‐mount in situ hybridization. Our study unveils new expression domains in the developing embryo, confirms those previously known, and shows that ntf and ntrk genes have different degrees of cell‐ and tissue‐type specificity. The unique and overlapping expression patterns here depicted indicate the coordination of the redundant and divergent functions of NTFs and represent valuable tools for deciphering the molecular pathways involved in the specification and function of embryonic cell types. First examination of the expression profiles of the whole complement of neurotrophin and neurotrophin tyrosine kinase receptor genes in vertebrate embryogenesis. Our study offers novel routes for investigating the biological role of each neurotrophin and their combinatorial interaction with neurotrophin receptor tyrosine kinases.