The axillary lymphoid organ is an external, experimentally accessible immune organ in the zebrafish

Daniel Castranova; Madeleine I Kenton; Aurora Kraus; Christopher W Dell; Jong S Park; Marina Venero Galanternik; Gilseung Park; Daniel N Lumbantobing; Louis Dye; Miranda Marvel; James Iben; Kiyohito Taimatsu; Van Pham; Reegan J Willms; Lucas Blevens; Tanner F Robertson; Yiran Hou; Anna Huttenlocher; Edan Foley; Lynne R Parenti; J Kimble Frazer; Kedar Narayan; Brant M Weinstein

doi:10.1084/jem.20241435

The axillary lymphoid organ is an external, experimentally accessible immune organ in the zebrafish

Daniel Castranova, Madeleine I Kenton, Aurora Kraus, Christopher W Dell, Jong S Park, Marina Venero Galanternik, Gilseung Park, Daniel N Lumbantobing, Louis Dye, Miranda Marvel, James Iben, Kiyohito Taimatsu, Van Pham, Reegan J Willms, Lucas Blevens, Tanner F Robertson, Yiran Hou, Anna Huttenlocher, Edan Foley, Lynne R ParentiJ Kimble Frazer, Kedar Narayan, Brant M Weinstein

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Lymph nodes and other secondary lymphoid organs play critical roles in immune surveillance and immune activation in mammals, but the deep internal locations of these organs make it challenging to image and study them in living animals. Here, we describe a previously uncharacterized external immune organ in the zebrafish ideally suited for studying immune cell dynamics in vivo, the axillary lymphoid organ (ALO). This small, translucent organ has an outer cortex teeming with immune cells, an inner medulla with a mesh-like network of fibroblastic reticular cells along which immune cells migrate, and a network of lymphatic vessels draining to a large adjacent lymph sac. Noninvasive high-resolution imaging of transgenically marked immune cells can be carried out in ALOs of living animals, which are readily accessible to external treatment. This newly discovered tissue provides a superb model for dynamic live imaging of immune cells and their interaction with pathogens and surrounding tissues, including blood and lymphatic vessels.

Original language	English
Journal	The Journal of Experimental Medicine
Volume	222
Issue number	6
Early online date	1 Apr 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20241435
Publication status	Published - 2 Jun 2025

Bibliographical note

This is a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Foreign copyrights may apply.

Keywords

Animals
Zebrafish/immunology
Lymphoid Tissue/immunology
Lymphatic Vessels/immunology
Axilla
Lymph Nodes/immunology
Animals, Genetically Modified
Cell Movement

Access to Document

10.1084/jem.20241435

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.25.605139v1.abstractLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

Castranova, D., Kenton, M. I., Kraus, A., Dell, C. W., Park, J. S., Venero Galanternik, M., Park, G., Lumbantobing, D. N., Dye, L., Marvel, M., Iben, J., Taimatsu, K., Pham, V., Willms, R. J., Blevens, L., Robertson, T. F., Hou, Y., Huttenlocher, A., Foley, E., ... Weinstein, B. M. (2025). The axillary lymphoid organ is an external, experimentally accessible immune organ in the zebrafish. The Journal of Experimental Medicine, 222(6). https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20241435

Castranova, D, Kenton, MI, Kraus, A, Dell, CW, Park, JS, Venero Galanternik, M, Park, G, Lumbantobing, DN, Dye, L, Marvel, M, Iben, J, Taimatsu, K, Pham, V, Willms, RJ, Blevens, L, Robertson, TF, Hou, Y, Huttenlocher, A, Foley, E, Parenti, LR, Frazer, JK, Narayan, K & Weinstein, BM 2025, 'The axillary lymphoid organ is an external, experimentally accessible immune organ in the zebrafish', The Journal of Experimental Medicine, vol. 222, no. 6. https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20241435

@article{c9924212530546768a7efd12c49cf413,

title = "The axillary lymphoid organ is an external, experimentally accessible immune organ in the zebrafish",

abstract = "Lymph nodes and other secondary lymphoid organs play critical roles in immune surveillance and immune activation in mammals, but the deep internal locations of these organs make it challenging to image and study them in living animals. Here, we describe a previously uncharacterized external immune organ in the zebrafish ideally suited for studying immune cell dynamics in vivo, the axillary lymphoid organ (ALO). This small, translucent organ has an outer cortex teeming with immune cells, an inner medulla with a mesh-like network of fibroblastic reticular cells along which immune cells migrate, and a network of lymphatic vessels draining to a large adjacent lymph sac. Noninvasive high-resolution imaging of transgenically marked immune cells can be carried out in ALOs of living animals, which are readily accessible to external treatment. This newly discovered tissue provides a superb model for dynamic live imaging of immune cells and their interaction with pathogens and surrounding tissues, including blood and lymphatic vessels.",

keywords = "Animals, Zebrafish/immunology, Lymphoid Tissue/immunology, Lymphatic Vessels/immunology, Axilla, Lymph Nodes/immunology, Animals, Genetically Modified, Cell Movement",

author = "Daniel Castranova and Kenton, \{Madeleine I\} and Aurora Kraus and Dell, \{Christopher W\} and Park, \{Jong S\} and \{Venero Galanternik\}, Marina and Gilseung Park and Lumbantobing, \{Daniel N\} and Louis Dye and Miranda Marvel and James Iben and Kiyohito Taimatsu and Van Pham and Willms, \{Reegan J\} and Lucas Blevens and Robertson, \{Tanner F\} and Yiran Hou and Anna Huttenlocher and Edan Foley and Parenti, \{Lynne R\} and Frazer, \{J Kimble\} and Kedar Narayan and Weinstein, \{Brant M\}",

note = "This is a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Foreign copyrights may apply.",

year = "2025",

month = jun,

day = "2",

doi = "10.1084/jem.20241435",

language = "English",

volume = "222",

journal = "The Journal of Experimental Medicine",

issn = "0022-1007",

publisher = "Rockefeller University Press",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The axillary lymphoid organ is an external, experimentally accessible immune organ in the zebrafish

AU - Castranova, Daniel

AU - Kenton, Madeleine I

AU - Kraus, Aurora

AU - Dell, Christopher W

AU - Park, Jong S

AU - Venero Galanternik, Marina

AU - Park, Gilseung

AU - Lumbantobing, Daniel N

AU - Dye, Louis

AU - Marvel, Miranda

AU - Iben, James

AU - Taimatsu, Kiyohito

AU - Pham, Van

AU - Willms, Reegan J

AU - Blevens, Lucas

AU - Robertson, Tanner F

AU - Hou, Yiran

AU - Huttenlocher, Anna

AU - Foley, Edan

AU - Parenti, Lynne R

AU - Frazer, J Kimble

AU - Narayan, Kedar

AU - Weinstein, Brant M

N1 - This is a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Foreign copyrights may apply.

PY - 2025/6/2

Y1 - 2025/6/2

N2 - Lymph nodes and other secondary lymphoid organs play critical roles in immune surveillance and immune activation in mammals, but the deep internal locations of these organs make it challenging to image and study them in living animals. Here, we describe a previously uncharacterized external immune organ in the zebrafish ideally suited for studying immune cell dynamics in vivo, the axillary lymphoid organ (ALO). This small, translucent organ has an outer cortex teeming with immune cells, an inner medulla with a mesh-like network of fibroblastic reticular cells along which immune cells migrate, and a network of lymphatic vessels draining to a large adjacent lymph sac. Noninvasive high-resolution imaging of transgenically marked immune cells can be carried out in ALOs of living animals, which are readily accessible to external treatment. This newly discovered tissue provides a superb model for dynamic live imaging of immune cells and their interaction with pathogens and surrounding tissues, including blood and lymphatic vessels.

AB - Lymph nodes and other secondary lymphoid organs play critical roles in immune surveillance and immune activation in mammals, but the deep internal locations of these organs make it challenging to image and study them in living animals. Here, we describe a previously uncharacterized external immune organ in the zebrafish ideally suited for studying immune cell dynamics in vivo, the axillary lymphoid organ (ALO). This small, translucent organ has an outer cortex teeming with immune cells, an inner medulla with a mesh-like network of fibroblastic reticular cells along which immune cells migrate, and a network of lymphatic vessels draining to a large adjacent lymph sac. Noninvasive high-resolution imaging of transgenically marked immune cells can be carried out in ALOs of living animals, which are readily accessible to external treatment. This newly discovered tissue provides a superb model for dynamic live imaging of immune cells and their interaction with pathogens and surrounding tissues, including blood and lymphatic vessels.

KW - Animals

KW - Zebrafish/immunology

KW - Lymphoid Tissue/immunology

KW - Lymphatic Vessels/immunology

KW - Axilla

KW - Lymph Nodes/immunology

KW - Animals, Genetically Modified

KW - Cell Movement

U2 - 10.1084/jem.20241435

DO - 10.1084/jem.20241435

M3 - Article

C2 - 40167600

SN - 0022-1007

VL - 222

JO - The Journal of Experimental Medicine

JF - The Journal of Experimental Medicine

IS - 6

ER -

The axillary lymphoid organ is an external, experimentally accessible immune organ in the zebrafish

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this