RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The single spanning transmembrane amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its proteolytic product, amyloid-beta (Ab) peptide, have been intensely studied due to their role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. However, the biological role of the secreted ectodomain of APP, which is also generated by proteolytic cleavage, is less well understood. Here, we report Tol2 red fluorescent protein (RFP) transposon gene trap integrations in the zebrafish amyloid precursor protein a (appa) and amyloid precursor-like protein 2 (aplp2) genes. The transposon integrations are predicted to disrupt the appa and aplp2 genes to primarily produce secreted ectodomains of the corresponding proteins that are fused to RFP. RESULTS: Our results indicate the Appa-RFP and Aplp2 fusion proteins are likely secreted from the central nervous system and accumulate in the embryonic veins independent of blood flow. CONCLUSIONS: The zebrafish appa and aplp2 transposon insertion alleles will be useful for investigating the biological role of the secreted form of APP.
Assuntos
Precursor de Proteína beta-Amiloide/metabolismo , Proteínas Amiloidogênicas/metabolismo , Proteínas de Peixe-Zebra/metabolismo , Peixe-Zebra/embriologia , Peixe-Zebra/metabolismo , Alelos , Precursor de Proteína beta-Amiloide/genética , Proteínas Amiloidogênicas/genética , Animais , Elementos de DNA Transponíveis/genética , Corantes Fluorescentes/metabolismo , Técnicas Genéticas , Proteínas Luminescentes/genética , Proteínas Luminescentes/metabolismo , Mutagênese Insercional , Veias/embriologia , Veias/metabolismo , Proteínas de Peixe-Zebra/genética , Proteína Vermelha FluorescenteRESUMO
We combined reverse and chemical genetics to identify targets and compounds modulating blood vessel development. Through transcript profiling in mice, we identified 150 potentially druggable microvessel-enriched gene products. Orthologs of 50 of these were knocked down in a reverse genetic screen in zebrafish, demonstrating that 16 were necessary for developmental angiogenesis. In parallel, 1280 pharmacologically active compounds were screened in a human cell-based assay, identifying 28 compounds selectively inhibiting endothelial sprouting. Several links were revealed between the results of the reverse and chemical genetic screens, including the serine/threonine (S/T) phosphatases ppp1ca, ppp1cc, and ppp4c and an inhibitor of this gene family; Endothall. Our results suggest that the combination of reverse and chemical genetic screens, in vertebrates, is an efficient strategy for the identification of drug targets and compounds that modulate complex biological systems, such as angiogenesis.