Granulin Knock Out Zebrafish Lack Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration and Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis Pathology

Loss of function mutations in granulin (GRN) are linked to two distinct neurological disorders, frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL). It is so far unknown how a complete loss of GRN in NCL and partial loss of GRN in FTLD can result in such distinct diseases. In zebrafish, there are two GRN homologues, Granulin A (Grna) and Granulin B (Grnb). We have generated stable Grna and Grnb loss of function zebrafish mutants by zinc finger nuclease mediated genome editing. Surprisingly, the grna and grnb single and double mutants display neither spinal motor neuron axonopathies nor a reduced number of myogenic progenitor cells as previously reported for Grna and Grnb knock down embryos. Additionally, grna-/-;grnb-/- double mutants have no obvious FTLD- and NCL-related biochemical and neuropathological phenotypes. Taken together, the Grna and Grnb single and double knock out zebrafish lack any obvious morphological, pathological and biochemical phenotypes. Loss of zebrafish Grna and Grnb might therefore either be fully compensated or only become symptomatic upon additional challenge

Zebrafish as a model for kidney function and disease

Kidney disease is a global problem with around three million people diagnosed in the UK alone and the incidence is rising. Research is critical to develop better treatments. Animal models can help to better understand the pathophysiology behind the various kidney diseases and to screen for therapeutic compounds, but the use especially of mammalian models should be minimised in the interest of animal welfare. Zebrafish are increasingly used, as they are genetically tractable and have a basic renal anatomy comparable to mammalian kidneys with glomerular filtration and tubular filtration processing. Here, we discuss how zebrafish have advanced the study of nephrology and the mechanisms underlying kidney disease

A new non-disruptive strategy to target calcium indicator dyes to the endoplasmic reticulum

For the analysis of Ca(2+)-dependent signaling, acetoxymethyl (AM)-derivatized ion indicators have become a popular tool. These indicators permeate membranes in an ion-insensitive form but, within cells, esterases hydrolyze these compounds to release ion-sensitive dyes. However, the properties of these indicators Limit their targeting to subcellular structures such as the endoplasmic reticulum, the dominant intracellular Ca2+ store. This study presents a novel approach for trapping fluorescent Ca2+ indicators in the ER. The method combines the selectivity of protein targeting with the biochemical advantages of synthetic Ca2+ indicators and allows direct, non-disruptive measurements of Ca(2+)-store dynamics with a high structural and temporal resolution. A recombinant carboxylesterase was targeted to the ER, providing a local esterase activity. After esterase-based dye loading, this additional esterase activity allowed improved trapping of Ca(2+)-sensitive forms of low-affinity Ca2+ indicators (e.g. Fluo5N) within the ER. The utility of the method was confirmed using different cell systems (293T, BHK21, cortical neurons) and activating different signaling pathways. In neurons, this approach enabled the detection of ER Ca2+ release with high resolution. In addition, the method allowed rapid confocal imaging of Ca2+ release from the ER, after activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors, in the presence of extracellular Ca2+

Loss of ALS-associated TDP-43 in zebrafish causes muscle degeneration, vascular dysfunction, and reduced motor neuron axon outgrowth.

Mutations in the Tar DNA binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43; TARDBP) are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43(+) inclusions (FTLD-TDP). To determine the physiological function of TDP-43, we knocked out zebrafish Tardbp and its paralogue Tardbp (TAR DNA binding protein-like), which lacks the glycine-rich domain where ALS- and FTLD-TDP-associated mutations cluster. tardbp mutants show no phenotype, a result of compensation by a unique splice variant of tardbpl that additionally contains a C-terminal elongation highly homologous to the glycine-rich domain of tardbp. Double-homozygous mutants of tardbp and tardbpl show muscle degeneration, strongly reduced blood circulation, mispatterning of vessels, impaired spinal motor neuron axon outgrowth, and early death. In double mutants the muscle-specific actin binding protein Filamin Ca is up-regulated. Strikingly, Filamin C is similarly increased in the frontal cortex of FTLD-TDP patients, suggesting aberrant expression in smooth muscle cells and TDP-43 loss-of-function as one underlying disease mechanism