QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wendl, T. Articles by Rohr, K. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wendl, T. Articles by Rohr, K. B. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

pax2.1 is required for the development of thyroid follicles in zebrafish

Thomas Wendl¹, Klaus Lun², Marina Mione³, Jack Favor⁴, Michael Brand², Stephen W. Wilson³ and Klaus B. Rohr^3,*,

¹ Institute for Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Gyrhofstrasse 17, D-50923 Köln, Germany
² Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, D-01307 Dresden, Germany
³ Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
⁴ GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Institute for Human Genetics, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
^* Present address: Institute for Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Gyrhofstrasse 17, D-50923 Köln, Germany

Author for correspondence (e-mail: klaus.rohr{at}uni-koeln.de)

Accepted 30 April 2002

The thyroid gland is an organ primarily composed of endoderm-derived follicular cells. Although disturbed embryonic development of the thyroid gland leads to congenital hypothyroidism in humans and mammals, the underlying principles of thyroid organogenesis are largely unknown. In this study, we introduce zebrafish as a model to investigate the molecular and genetic mechanisms that control thyroid development. Marker gene expression suggests that the molecular pathways of early thyroid development are essentially conserved between fish and mammals. However during larval stages, we find both conserved and divergent features of development compared with mammals. A major difference is that in fish, we find evidence for hormone production not only in thyroid follicular cells, but also in an anterior non-follicular group of cells.

We show that pax2.1 and pax8, members of the zebrafish pax2/5/8 paralogue group, are expressed in the thyroid primordium. Whereas in mice, only Pax8 has a function during thyroid development, analysis of the zebrafish pax2.1 mutant no isthmus (noi^–/–) demonstrates that pax2.1 has a role comparable with mouse Pax8 in differentiation of the thyroid follicular cells. Early steps of thyroid development are normal in noi^–/–, but later expression of molecular markers is lost and the formation of follicles fails. Interestingly, the anterior non-follicular site of thyroid hormone production is not affected in noi^–/–. Thus, in zebrafish, some remaining thyroid hormone synthesis takes place independent of the pathway leading to thyroid follicle formation. We suggest that the noi^–/– mutant serves as a new zebrafish model for hypothyroidism.

Key words: Hypothyroidism, Thyroid, Pax2, Pax8, Nkx2.1, TTF1, Evolution, Zebrafish, Mouse

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Wendl, D. Adzic, J. J. Schoenebeck, S. Scholpp, M. Brand, D. Yelon, and K. B. Rohr Early developmental specification of the thyroid gland depends on han-expressing surrounding tissue and on FGF signals Development, August 1, 2007; 134(15): 2871 - 2879. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Mukhi and R. Patino Effects of Prolonged Exposure to Perchlorate on Thyroid and Reproductive Function in Zebrafish Toxicol. Sci., April 1, 2007; 96(2): 246 - 254. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Hu, B. Sharma, S. Mukhi, R. Patino, and J. A. Carr The Colloidal Thyroxine (T4) Ring as a Novel Biomarker of Perchlorate Exposure in the African Clawed Frog Xenopus laevis Toxicol. Sci., October 1, 2006; 93(2): 268 - 277. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Alt, O. A. Elsalini, P. Schrumpf, N. Haufs, N. D. Lawson, G. C. Schwabe, S. Mundlos, A. Gruters, H. Krude, and K. B. Rohr Arteries define the position of the thyroid gland during its developmental relocalisation. Development, October 1, 2006; 133(19): 3797 - 3804. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Opitz, A. Trubiroha, C. Lorenz, I. Lutz, S. Hartmann, T. Blank, T. Braunbeck, and W. Kloas Expression of sodium-iodide symporter mRNA in the thyroid gland of Xenopus laevis tadpoles: developmental expression, effects of antithyroidal compounds, and regulation by TSH. J. Endocrinol., July 1, 2006; 190(1): 157 - 170. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I M McGonnell and R C Fowkes Fishing for gene function - endocrine modelling in the zebrafish. J. Endocrinol., June 1, 2006; 189(3): 425 - 439. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Chen, H. Ruan, S. M. Ng, C. Gao, H. M. Soo, W. Wu, Z. Zhang, Z. Wen, D. P. Lane, and J. Peng Loss of function of def selectively up-regulates {Delta}113p53 expression to arrest expansion growth of digestive organs in zebrafish Genes & Dev., December 1, 2005; 19(23): 2900 - 2911. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. De Felice and R. Di Lauro Thyroid Development and Its Disorders: Genetics and Molecular Mechanisms Endocr. Rev., October 1, 2004; 25(5): 722 - 746. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Spitsbergen and M. L. Kent The State of the Art of the Zebrafish Model for Toxicology and Toxicologic Pathology Research--Advantages and Current Limitations Toxicol Pathol, January 1, 2003; 31(1_suppl): 62 - 87. [Abstract] [PDF]