Alexander D. Crawford

Type 2 Iodothyronine Deiodinase Is Essential for Thyroid Hormone-Dependent Embryonic Development and Pigmentation in Zebrafish

Despite the known importance of thyroid hormones (THs) in vertebrate growth and development, the role of tissue-specific TH activation in early embryogenesis remains unclear. We therefore examined the function of type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2), one of the two tissue-specific enzymes catalyzing the conversion of T4 to T3, in developing zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio). Microinjection of early embryos with antisense oligonucleotides targeting either the D2 translation start site or the splice junction between the first exon and intron induced delays in development and pigmentation, as determined through the measurement of otic vesicle length, head-trunk angle, and pigmentation index at 31 h after fertilization. The antisense-induced delays in developmental progression and pigmentation were reversible through treatment with T3, suggesting that these phenotypic effects may be due to the depletion of intracellular T3 levels. Additional evidence for this hypothesis was provided by quantitative RT-PCR analysis of TH receptor-beta expression in D2 knockdown embryos, revealing a significant down-regulation of this T3-induced transcript that could be reversed by T3 treatment. Tyrosinase expression was also down-regulated in D2 knockdown embryos to a greater degree than could be predicted by the observed delay in developmental progression, suggesting that reduced D2 activity and resultant low intracellular T3 availability may directly influence pigmentation in zebrafish. These data indicate that TH activation by D2 is essential for embryonic development and pigmentation in zebrafish.

Evaluation of 14 organic solvents and carriers for screening applications in zebrafish embryos and larvae.

Zebrafish are rapidly growing in popularity as an in vivo model system for chemical genetics, drug discovery, and toxicology, and more recently also for natural product discovery. Experiments involving the pharmacological evaluation of small molecules or natural product extracts in zebrafish bioassays require the effective delivery of these compounds to embryos and larvae. While most samples to be screened are first solubilized in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which is then diluted in the embryo medium, often this method is not sufficient to prevent the immediate or eventual precipitation of the sample. Certain compounds and extracts are also not highly soluble in DMSO. In such instances the use of carriers and/or other solvents might offer an alternative means to achieve the required sample concentration. Towards this end, we determined the maximum tolerated concentration (MTC) of several commonly used solvents and carriers in zebrafish embryos and larvae at various developmental stages. Solvents evaluated for this study included acetone, acetonitrile, butanone, dimethyl formamide, DMSO, ethanol, glycerol, isopropanol, methanol, polyethylene glycol (PEG-400), propylene glycol, and solketal, and carriers included albumin (BSA) and cyclodextrin (2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin, or HPBCD). This study resulted in the identification of polyethylene glycol (PEG400), propylene glycol, and methanol as solvents that were relatively well-tolerated over a range of developmental stages. In addition, our results showed that acetone was well-tolerated by embryos but not by larvae, and 1% cyclodextrin (HPBCD) was well-tolerated by both embryos and larvae, indicating the utility of this carrier for compound screening in zebrafish. However, given the relatively small differences (2–3 fold) between concentrations that are apparently safe and those that are clearly toxic, further studies – e.g. omics analyses –should be carried out to determine which cellular processes and signalling pathways are affected by any solvents and carriers that are used for small-molecule screens in zebrafish.

Fishing for drugs from nature: zebrafish as a technology platform for natural product discovery.

Emerging challenges within the current drug discovery paradigm are prompting renewed interest in natural products as a source of novel, bioactive small molecules. With the recent validation of zebrafish as a biomedically relevant model for functional genomics and in vivo drug discovery, the zebrafish bioassay-guided identification of natural products may be an attractive strategy to generate new lead compounds in a number of indication areas. Here, we review recent natural product research using zebrafish and evaluate the potential of this vertebrate model as a discovery platform for the systematic identification of bioactive natural products.

Validation of the Zebrafish Pentylenetetrazol Seizure Model: Locomotor versus Electrographic Responses to Antiepileptic Drugs

Zebrafish have recently emerged as an attractive in vivo model for epilepsy. Seven-day-old zebrafish larvae exposed to the GABAA antagonist pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) exhibit increased locomotor activity, seizure-like behavior, and epileptiform electrographic activity. A previous study showed that 12 out of 13 antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) suppressed PTZ-mediated increases in larval movement, indicating the potential utility of zebrafish as a high-throughput in vivo model for AED discovery. However, a question remained as to whether an AED-induced decrease in locomotion is truly indicative of anticonvulsant activity, as some drugs may impair larval movement through other mechanisms such as general toxicity or sedation. We therefore carried out a study in PTZ-treated zebrafish larvae, to directly compare the ability of AEDs to inhibit seizure-like behavioral manifestations with their capacity to suppress epileptiform electrographic activity. We re-tested the 13 AEDs of which 12 were previously reported to inhibit convulsions in the larval movement tracking assay, administering concentrations that did not, on their own, impair locomotion. In parallel, we carried out open-field recordings on larval brains after treatment with each AED. For the majority of AEDs we obtained the same response in both the behavioral and electrographic assays. Overall our data correlate well with those reported in the literature for acute rodent PTZ tests, indicating that the larval zebrafish brain is more discriminatory than previously thought in its response to AEDs with different modes of action. Our results underscore the validity of using the zebrafish larval locomotor assay as a rapid first-pass screening tool in assessing the anticonvulsant and/or proconvulsant activity of compounds, but also highlight the importance of performing adequate validation when using in vivo models.

Zebrafish Bioassay-Guided Natural Product Discovery: Isolation of Angiogenesis Inhibitors from East African Medicinal Plants

Natural products represent a significant reservoir of unexplored chemical diversity for early-stage drug discovery. The identification of lead compounds of natural origin would benefit from therapeutically relevant bioassays capable of facilitating the isolation of bioactive molecules from multi-constituent extracts. Towards this end, we developed an in vivo bioassay-guided isolation approach for natural product discovery that combines bioactivity screening in zebrafish embryos with rapid fractionation by analytical thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and initial structural elucidation by high-resolution electrospray mass spectrometry (HRESIMS). Bioactivity screening of East African medicinal plant extracts using fli-1:EGFP transgenic zebrafish embryos identified Oxygonum sinuatum and Plectranthus barbatus as inhibiting vascular development. Zebrafish bioassay-guided fractionation identified the active components of these plants as emodin, an inhibitor of the protein kinase CK2, and coleon A lactone, a rare abietane diterpenoid with no previously described bioactivity. Both emodin and coleon A lactone inhibited mammalian endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation in vitro, as well as angiogenesis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. These results suggest that the combination of zebrafish bioassays with analytical chromatography methods is an effective strategy for the rapid identification of bioactive natural products.

CHD2 variants are a risk factor for photosensitivity in epilepsy

Photosensitivity in epilepsy is common and has high heritability, but its genetic basis remains uncertain. Galizia et al. reveal an overrepresentation of unique variants of CHD2 — which encodes the transcriptional regulator ‘chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 2’ — in photosensitive epilepsies, and show that chd2 knockdown in zebrafish causes photosensitivity.

Anticonvulsant activity of bisabolene sesquiterpenoids of Curcuma longa in zebrafish and mouse seizure models

Turmeric, obtained from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, is used in South Asia as a traditional medicine for the treatment of epilepsy. To date, in vivo studies on the anticonvulsant activity of turmeric have focused on its principal curcuminoid, curcumin. However, poor absorption and rapid metabolism have limited the therapeutic application of curcumin in humans. To explore the therapeutic potential of turmeric for epilepsy further, we analyzed its anticonvulsant activity in a larval zebrafish seizure assay. Initial experiments revealed that the anticonvulsant activity of turmeric in zebrafish larvae cannot be explained solely by the effects of curcumin. Zebrafish bioassay-guided fractionation of turmeric identified bisabolene sesquiterpenoids as additional anticonvulsants that inhibit PTZ-induced seizures in both zebrafish and mice. Here, we present the first report of the anticonvulsant properties of bisabolene sesquiterpenoids and provide evidence which warrants further investigation toward the mechanistic understanding of their neuromodulatory activity.

Ttrap is an essential modulator of Smad3-dependent Nodal signaling during zebrafish gastrulation and left-right axis determination

During vertebrate development, signaling by the TGFβ ligand Nodal is critical for mesoderm formation, correct positioning of the anterior-posterior axis, normal anterior and midline patterning, and left-right asymmetric development of the heart and viscera. Stimulation of Alk4/EGF-CFC receptor complexes by Nodal activates Smad2/3, leading to left-sided expression of target genes that promote asymmetric placement of certain internal organs. We identified Ttrap as a novel Alk4- and Smad3-interacting protein that controls gastrulation movements and left-right axis determination in zebrafish. Morpholino-mediated Ttrap knockdown increases Smad3 activity, leading to ectopic expression of snail1a and apparent repression of e-cadherin, thereby perturbing cell movements during convergent extension, epiboly and node formation. Thus, although the role of Smad proteins in mediating Nodal signaling is well-documented, the functional characterization of Ttrap provides insight into a novel Smad partner that plays an essential role in the fine-tuning of this signal transduction cascade.

Integration of Microfractionation, qNMR and Zebrafish Screening for the In Vivo Bioassay-Guided Isolation and Quantitative Bioactivity Analysis of Natural Products

Natural products (NPs) are an attractive source of chemical diversity for small-molecule drug discovery. Several challenges nevertheless persist with respect to NP discovery, including the time and effort required for bioassay-guided isolation of bioactive NPs, and the limited biomedical relevance to date of in vitro bioassays used in this context. With regard to bioassays, zebrafish have recently emerged as an effective model system for chemical biology, allowing in vivo high-content screens that are compatible with microgram amounts of compound. For the deconvolution of the complex extracts into their individual constituents, recent progress has been achieved on several fronts as analytical techniques now enable the rapid microfractionation of extracts, and microflow NMR methods have developed to the point of allowing the identification of microgram amounts of NPs. Here we combine advanced analytical methods with high-content screening in zebrafish to create an integrated platform for microgram-scale, in vivo NP discovery. We use this platform for the bioassay-guided fractionation of an East African medicinal plant, Rhynchosia viscosa, resulting in the identification of both known and novel isoflavone derivatives with anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory activity. Quantitative microflow NMR is used both to determine the structure of bioactive compounds and to quantify them for direct dose-response experiments at the microgram scale. The key advantages of this approach are (1) the microgram scale at which both biological and analytical experiments can be performed, (2) the speed and the rationality of the bioassay-guided fractionation – generic for NP extracts of diverse origin – that requires only limited sample-specific optimization and (3) the use of microflow NMR for quantification, enabling the identification and dose-response experiments with only tens of micrograms of each compound. This study demonstrates that a complete in vivo bioassay-guided fractionation can be performed with only 20 mg of NP extract within a few days.

Combined antisense knockdown of type 1 and type 2 iodothyronine deiodinases disrupts embryonic development in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Thyroid hormones (THs) are important regulators of gene expression during vertebrate development. In teleosts, early embryos rely on the maternal TH deposit in the egg yolk, consisting predominantly of T(4). Activation of T(4) to T(3) by iodothyronine deiodinases (Ds) may therefore be an important factor in determining T(3)-dependent development. In zebrafish, both Ds capable of T(3) production, D1 and D2, are first expressed very early during embryonic development. We sought to determine their relative importance for zebrafish embryonic development by inhibiting their expression via antisense oligonucleotides against D1 and D2, and by a combined knockdown of both deiodinases. The impact of these treatments on the rate of embryonic development was estimated via three morphological indices: otic vesicle length, head-trunk angle and pigmentation index. Knockdown of D1 alone seemed not to affect developmental progression. In contrast, D2 knockdown resulted in a clear developmental delay in all parameters scored, suggesting that D2 is the major contributor to TH activation in developing zebrafish embryos. Importantly, combined knockdown of D1 and D2 caused not only a more pronounced developmental delay than D2 knockdown alone but also the appearance of dysmorphologies in a substantial minority of treated embryos. This shows that although D1 may not be essential in euthyroid conditions, it may be crucial under depleted thyroid status as is the case when T(3) production by D2 is inhibited. These results indicate that zebrafish embryos are dependent on T(4) uptake and its subsequent activation to T(3), and suggest that substantial inhibition of embryonic T(4) to T(3) conversion reduces intracellular T(3) availability below the threshold level necessary for normal development.