Zebrafish as a powerful vertebrate model system for in vivo studies of cell death

• Published in: Seminars in cancer biology Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 154 - 165
• Main Authors: Pyati, Ujwal J, Look, A. Thomas, Hammerschmidt, Matthias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2007
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - physiology; Cancer; Cell Death - physiology; Degenerative diseases; Development; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - genetics; Genetics; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Models, Animal; Zebrafish; Zebrafish - embryology; Zebrafish - genetics; Zebrafish - metabolism; TILLING; Degenerative diseases; OTR; TNF; TUNEL; death-inducing signaling complex; RT-PCR; inhibitor of Caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease; Development; Genetics; ovarian TNF receptor; RFP; recombination activating gene 2; TRAIL; N-ethyl- N-nitrosourea; Cad; Zebrafish; green fluorescent protein; AO; acridine orange; rag2; DISC; MPNSTs; Bcl-2-antagonist/killer; terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling; Bcl-2; BH; myeloid cell leukemia 1; ENU; Caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease; GFP; red fluorescent protein; targeting induced local lesions in genomes; cysteine-aspartate protease; TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand; FADD; B-cell lymphoma 2; Bcl-2 homology domain; BAC; fas-associated death domain-containing protein; Caspase; Bak; bacterial artificial chromosome; Mcl-1; tumor necrosis factor; FasL; reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; fas ligand; malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors; Icad; Apoptosis; Cancer
• ISSN: 1044-579X; 1096-3650
• DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2006.11.007

Abstract Understanding and manipulating cell death pathways are critical to our ability to treat human degenerative diseases and cancer. The zebrafish Danio rerio , a common aquatic pet, has evolved as a powerful tool for the discovery of genes regulating cellular suicide both during normal vertebrate development and after genetic or environmental insult. In this review, we describe the techniques that can be applied to studying cell death in zebrafish as well as highlighting what has been discovered so far. Finally, we discuss future perspectives in the field and how they relate to human disease.