32 research outputs found
Nano-Sampling and Reporter Tools to Study Metabolic Regulation in Zebrafish
In the past years, evidence has emerged that hallmarks of human metabolic disorders can be recapitulated in zebrafish using genetic, pharmacological or dietary interventions. An advantage of modeling metabolic diseases in zebrafish compared to other âlower organismsâ is the presence of a vertebrate body plan providing the possibility to study the tissue-intrinsic processes preceding the loss of metabolic homeostasis. While the small size of zebrafish is advantageous in many aspects, it also has shortcomings such as the difficulty to obtain sufficient amounts for biochemical analyses in response to metabolic challenges. A workshop at the European Zebrafish Principal Investigator meeting in Trento, Italy, was dedicated to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of zebrafish to study metabolic disorders. This perspective article by the participants highlights strategies to achieve improved tissue-resolution for read-outs using ânano-samplingâ approaches for metabolomics as well as live imaging of zebrafish expressing fluorescent reporter tools that inform on cellular or subcellular metabolic processes. We provide several examples, including the use of reporter tools to study the heterogeneity of pancreatic beta-cells within their tissue environment. While limitations exist, we believe that with the advent of new technologies and more labs developing methods that can be applied to minimal amounts of tissue or single cells, zebrafish will further increase their utility to study energy metabolism
Recommended from our members
California Naturalist Series: Natural History of the California Current
Off the California shoreline is a dynamic, thriving collection of ecosystems. This region is a boundary zone that supports the seasonal upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface, and is one of only five such zones in the world. Without the endless expanse of blue stretching from its western edge, California would be a very different place.This publication will help you:Understand the physical and atmospheric processes that create the California Current Explore the ecology of the California Current Become aware of threats to marine wildlife off the coast of California and ways in which wildlife is being protecte