The Zebrafish Retina and the Evolution of the Onecut-Mediated Pathway in Cell Type Differentiation

Quirino Attilio Vassalli; Giulia Fasano; Valeria Nittoli; Eleonora Gagliardi; Rosa Maria Sepe; Aldo Donizetti; Francesco Aniello; Paolo Sordino; Robert Kelsh; Annamaria Locascio

doi:10.3390/cells13242071

The Zebrafish Retina and the Evolution of the Onecut-Mediated Pathway in Cell Type Differentiation

Quirino Attilio Vassalli, Giulia Fasano, Valeria Nittoli, Eleonora Gagliardi, Rosa Maria Sepe, Aldo Donizetti, Francesco Aniello, Paolo Sordino, Robert Kelsh, Annamaria Locascio

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

Abstract

Onecut/Hnf6 (Oc) genes play an important role in the proper formation of retinal cells in vertebrates, in particular horizontal, retinal ganglion and amacrine cells. However, it is not fully known how the unique and combined action of multiple Oc gene copies leads to the induction and differentiation of specific retinal cell types. To gain new insights on how Oc genes influence retina formation, we have examined the developmental role of oc1, oc2 and oc-like genes during eye formation in the non-mammalian vertebrate zebrafish Danio rerio. By using single and multiple morpholino knockdown of three zebrafish Oc genes we provide evidence for the independent and redundant role of each gene in the formation of photoreceptors and other retinal tissues. Through comparison of Oc genetic pathways in photoreceptor differentiation among chordates we demonstrate their mechanism of action through a series of conserved target genes involved in neural transmission.

Original language	English
Article number	2071
Journal	Cells
Volume	13
Issue number	24
Early online date	15 Dec 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/cells13242071
Publication status	Published - 31 Dec 2024

Data Availability Statement

All data and related information are available upon request to [email protected].

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Viviana Cetrangolo, Riccardo Esposito, Catia Pedalino and Federica Berruto for their help in wet lab experiments. We are grateful to William A Harris (Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK) for the SoFa1 line. We thank the RIMAR Department of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn and, in particular, Luca Ambrosino and the Bioinformatics Unit for technical support. Q.A.V. was supported by SZN-Open University (UK) PhD Fellowships and by EMBO short term fellowship.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Keywords

comparative evolution
Danio rerio
eye
genetic pathway
Hnf6
photoreceptor

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology

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10.3390/cells13242071Licence: CC BY

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AU - Gagliardi, Eleonora

AU - Sepe, Rosa Maria

AU - Donizetti, Aldo

AU - Aniello, Francesco

AU - Sordino, Paolo

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AU - Locascio, Annamaria

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The Zebrafish Retina and the Evolution of the Onecut-Mediated Pathway in Cell Type Differentiation

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Acknowledgements

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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