Abstract
Abstract
Background
Despite detailedin vivoknowledge of glycolytic enolases and many bacterial non-enolase members of the superfamily, little is known about thein vivofunction of vertebrate non-enolase enolase superfamily members (ENOSF1s). Results of previous studies suggest involvement of the β splice form of ENOSF1 in breast and colon cancers. This study used the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a vertebrate model of ENOSF1β function.
Results
Whole mount in situ hybridization (WISH) showed that zebrafish ENOSF1β (enosf1b) is zygotic and expressed ubiquitously through the first 24 hours post fertilization (hpf). After 24 hpf,enosf1bexpression is restricted to the notochord. Embryos injected withenosf1b-EGFP mRNA grew slower than EGFP mRNA-injected embryos but caught up to the EGFP-injected embryos by 48 hpf. Embryos injected with ATG or exon 10enosf1bmRNA-targeting morpholinos had kinked notochords, shortened anterior-posterior axes, and circulatory edema. WISH forntlorpax2aexpression showed that embryos injected with either morpholino have deformed notochord and pronephros. TUNEL staining revealed increased apoptosis in the peri-notochord region.
Conclusions
This study is the first report of ENOSF1 function in a vertebrate and shows that ENOSF1 is required for embryonic development. Increased apoptosis followingenosf1bknockdown suggests a potential survival advantage for increased ENOSF1β expression in human cancers.