Dataset Information

Bioinformatic analysis and functional predictions of selected regeneration-associated transcripts expressed by zebrafish microglia.

ABSTRACT: Background: Unlike mammals, zebrafish have a remarkable capacity to regenerate a variety of tissues, including central nervous system tissue. The function of macrophages in tissue regeneration is of great interest, as macrophages respond and participate in the landscape of events that occur following tissue injury in all vertebrate species examined. Understanding macrophage populations in regenerating tissue (such as in zebrafish) may inform strategies that aim to regenerate tissue in humans. We recently published an RNA-seq experiment that identified genes enriched in microglia/macrophages in regenerating zebrafish retinas. Interestingly, a small number of transcripts differentially expressed by retinal microglia/macrophages during retinal regeneration did not have predicted orthologs in human or mouse. We reasoned that at least some of these genes could be functionally important for tissue regeneration, but most of these genes have not been studied experimentally and their functions are largely unknown. To reveal their possible functions, we performed a variety of bioinformatic analyses aimed at identifying the presence of functional protein domains as well as orthologous relationships to other species.

Results: Our analyses identified putative functional domains in predicted proteins for a number of selected genes. For example, we confidently predict kinase function for one gene, cytokine/chemokine function for another, and carbohydrate enzymatic function for a third. Predicted orthologs were identified for some, but not all, genes in species with described regenerative capacity, and functional domains were consistent with identified orthologs. Comparison to other published gene expression datasets suggest that at least some of these genes could be important in regenerative responses in zebrafish and not necessarily in response to microbial infection.

Conclusions: This work reveals previously undescribed putative function of several genes implicated in regulating tissue regeneration. This will inform future work to experimentally determine the function of these genes in vivo, and how these genes may be involved in microglia/macrophage roles in tissue regeneration.

SUBMITTER: Issaka Salia O

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7720500 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Bioinformatic analysis and functional predictions of selected regeneration-associated transcripts expressed by zebrafish microglia.

Issaka Salia Ousseini O Mitchell Diana M DM

BMC genomics 20201207 1

<h4>Background</h4>Unlike mammals, zebrafish have a remarkable capacity to regenerate a variety of tissues, including central nervous system tissue. The function of macrophages in tissue regeneration is of great interest, as macrophages respond and participate in the landscape of events that occur following tissue injury in all vertebrate species examined. Understanding macrophage populations in regenerating tissue (such as in zebrafish) may inform strategies that aim to regenerate tissue in hum ...[more]

PMID: 33287696

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Project description:ObjectiveWound healing is a complex process involving the coordinated interaction of various genes and molecularpathways. The study aimed to uncover novel therapeutic targets, biomarkers and candidate genes for drug developmentto improve successful wound repair interventions.Materials and Methods: This study is a network-meta analysis study. Nine wound healing microarray datasets obtainedfrom the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were used for this study. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs)were described using the Limma package and shared genes were used as input for weighted gene co-expressionnetwork analysis. The Gene Ontology analysis was performed using the EnrichR web server, and construction of aprotein-protein interaction (PPI) network was achieved by the STRING and Cytoscape.Results: A total of 424 DEGs were determined. A co-expression network was constructed using 7692 shared genesbetween nine data sets, resulting in the identification of seven modules. Among these modules, those with the top 20genes of up and down-regulation were selected. The top down-regulated genes, including TJP1, SEC61A1, PLEK,ATP5B, PDIA6, PIK3R1, SRGN, SDC2, and RBBP7, and the top up-regulated genes including RPS27A, EEF1A1,HNRNPA1, CTNNB1, POLR2A, CFL1, CSNk1E, HSPD1, FN1, and AURKB, which can potentially serve as therapeutictargets were identified. The KEGG pathway analysis found that the majority of the genes are enriched in the "Wntsignaling pathway".Conclusion: In our study of nine wound healing microarray datasets, we identified DEGs and co-expressed modulesusing WGCNA. These genes are involved in important cellular processes such as transcription, translation, and posttranslationalmodifications. We found nine down-regulated genes and ten up-regulated genes, which could serve aspotential therapeutic targets for further experimental validation. Targeting pathways related to protein synthesis and celladhesion and migration may enhance wound healing, but additional experimental validation is needed to confirm theeffectiveness and safety of targeted interventions.

Project description:IntroductionZebrafish regenerate their retinas following damage, resulting in restoration of visual function. Here we evaluate recovery of retinal function through qualitative and quantitative analysis of the electroretinogram (ERG) over time following retinal damage, in correlation to histological features of regenerated retinal tissue.MethodsRetinas of adult zebrafish were lesioned by intravitreal injection of 10 μM (extensive lesion; destroys all neurons) or 2 μM (selective lesion; spares photoreceptors) ouabain. Unlesioned contralateral retinas served as controls. Function of retinal circuitry was analyzed at selected timepoints using ERG recordings from live zebrafish, and whole eyes were processed for histological analyses immediately thereafter.ResultsQualitative and quantitative assessment of waveforms during retinal regeneration revealed dynamic changes that were heterogeneous on an individual level within each sampling time, but still followed common waveform recovery patterns on a per-fish and population-level basis. Early in the regeneration period (13-30 days post injury; DPI), for both lesion types, b-waves were essentially not detected, and unmasked increased apparent amplitudes, implicit times, and half-widths of a-waves (vs. controls). In control recordings, d-waves were not obviously detected, but apparent d-waves (OFF-bipolar responses) from regenerating retinas of several fish became prominent by 30DPI and dominated the post-photoreceptor response (PPR). Beyond 45DPI, b-waves became detectable, and the ratio of apparent d- to b-wave contributions progressively shifted with most, but not all, fish displaying a b-wave dominated PPR. At the latest timepoints (extensive, 90DPI; selective, 80DPI), recordings with measurable b-waves approached a normal waveform (implicit times and half-widths), but amplitudes were not restored to control levels. Histological analyses of the retinas from which ERGs were recorded showed that as regeneration progressed, PKCa + ON-bipolar terminals and parvalbumin + amacrine cell processes became more stereotypically positioned within the deep sublaminae of the INL over recovery time after each lesion type, consistent with the shift in PPR seen in the ERG recordings.DiscussionTaken together, these data suggest that photoreceptor-OFF-bipolar component/connectivity may functionally recover and mature earlier during regeneration compared to the photoreceptor-ON-bipolar component, though the timeframe in which such recovery happens is heterogeneous on a per-fish basis. Collectively our studies suggest gradual restoration of ON-bipolar functional circuitry during retinal regeneration.

Dataset Information

Bioinformatic analysis and functional predictions of selected regeneration-associated transcripts expressed by zebrafish microglia.

Publications

Bioinformatic analysis and functional predictions of selected regeneration-associated transcripts expressed by zebrafish microglia.

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