Gene Nr2e1 as a possible stem/progenitor cell marker in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) pituitary

• Grant number: 14/05349-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2014
• End date: July 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Luciani Renata Silveira de Carvalho
• Grantee: Caroline Caetano da Silva
• Host Institution: Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 15/04770-0 - Gene Nr2e1 as a possible stem CELL/PROGENITOR marker in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) pituitary, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

The stem cellsare characterized by their capacity for proliferation, self-renewal and potential differentiation. Stem cells has been described in cell renewal and homeostatic regulation of the pituitary gland, but little is known about its expression profile in hypopituitarism. The Nr2e1 gene, known marker of neural stem cells during embryogenesis and mouse brain at adult life, was found hyperexpressed in the postnatal period and adulthood in the mouse pituitary Ames, animal with spontaneous mutation in the Prop1 gene leading to hypopituitarism (deficiency of LH/FSH, PRL, TSH and GH). This project aims to evaluate the Prop1 gene silencing by morpholino, to mimic the increased expression of stem cell markers Sox2 and Nr2e1 in the zebrafish pituitary, similar to that found in Ames. The secondary objective is to silence the Nr2e1 and evaluate its window expression in the wild and mutated animals, and to evaluate the expression of genes involved in cell cycle Ccnd2 and P21 (known targets of Nr2e1) and genes that act on pituitary cell differentiation as the Prop1 , Pou1f1 ( Pit1 ) and Tbx19. The zebrafish was chosen due to its easy maintenance, economical and high reproductive rate. As there is no specific knockout mouse pituitary to Nr2e1 and the available knockout mice features aggressive behavior, difficulty mating and consequently difficulty of creating new strains, the zebrafish, appears as a more appropriate model to study the markers of stem cells found in the pituitary. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SILVA, Caroline Caetano da. nr2e1 influences exploratory behavior but is not necessary for terminal hormone differentiation in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) pituitary. 2017. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina (FM/SBD) São Paulo.