Project description:To investigate mechanisms by which activated β-catenin signaling promotes liver tumor formation and to identify potential therapeutics for these cancers, we generated transgenic zebrafish expressing hepatocyte-specific activated β-catenin (Tg(fabp10a:pt-β-cat) zebrafish. As adults, these animals show increased liver size, decreased survival, and histologic abnormalities similar to human HCC. To further characterize our model, we used microarray analysis to compare gene expression in Tg(fabp10a:pt-β-cat) zebrafish livers to that of non-transgenic control sibling livers. This experiment includes 2 biological replicates. Each replicate represents one Tg(fabp10a:pt-beta-catenin) zebrafish compared to non-transgenic control sibling.
Project description:To investigate mechanisms by which activated β-catenin signaling promotes liver tumor formation and to identify potential therapeutics for these cancers, we generated transgenic zebrafish expressing hepatocyte-specific activated β-catenin (Tg(fabp10a:pt-β-cat) zebrafish. As adults, these animals show increased liver size, decreased survival, and histologic abnormalities similar to human HCC. To further characterize our model, we used microarray analysis to compare gene expression in Tg(fabp10a:pt-β-cat) zebrafish livers to that of non-transgenic control sibling livers.
Project description:To study the characteristics and mechanisms of Myc-induced zebrafish liver tumor, next-generation sequencing-based SAGE analyses were used to examine the transcriptomes of tumor and control samples. The results indicated that ribosome proteins were overwhelmingly up-regulated in the Myc-induced liver tumors. Cross-species analyses showed that the zebrafish Myc model correlated well with Myc transgenic mouse models for liver cancers. The Myc-induced zebrafish liver tumors also possessed molecular signatures highly similar to human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, our zebrafish model demonstrated the conserved role of Myc in promoting hepatocarcinogenesis in all vertebrate species.
Project description:To study the characteristics and mechanisms of Myc-induced zebrafish liver tumor, next-generation sequencing-based SAGE analyses were used to examine the transcriptomes of tumor and control samples. The results indicated that ribosome proteins were overwhelmingly up-regulated in the Myc-induced liver tumors. Cross-species analyses showed that the zebrafish Myc model correlated well with Myc transgenic mouse models for liver cancers. The Myc-induced zebrafish liver tumors also possessed molecular signatures highly similar to human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, our zebrafish model demonstrated the conserved role of Myc in promoting hepatocarcinogenesis in all vertebrate species. Transcriptome profiling of tumor samples (M+D+) and control samples (M-D-, M+D-, M-D+) were generated by deep sequencing, each in duplicates, using 3' RNA-SAGE on the SOLiD system.
Project description:Condition specific zebrafish metabolic models generated using the COBRA MetaboTools framework. The Wang et al., (2021) zebrafish genome-scale metabolic model (GEM) was constrained with experimental data from 5 days post fertilized (dpf) zebrafish to generate a 'base-model'.
In turn this 5 dpf zebrafish base-model was constrained with experimental (transcriptomics and metabolomics) data from 5 dpf zebrafish exposed to the environmental pollutant perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), at three levels - Low (0.06 uM), Medium (0.6 uM), and High (2 uM) PFOS.
The MetaboTools framework was used to construct three condition-sepcific models: Low, Medium, and High PFOS.
Key simulation predictions of effects on the carnitine shuttle and lipid metabolism were confirmed in wild-caught fish and dolphins (stranded animals) sampled from the northern Gulf of Mexico - published in Nolen et al., (2024) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2023.109817
Project description:To compare the characteristics and mechanisms of Myc and xmrk induced zebrafish liver tumor, next generation sequencing-based SAGE analyses were used to examine the transcriptomes of tumor and control samples. The results indicated that relatively small overlaps of significantly deregulated genes and biological pathways among different zebrafish liver tumor models.Nevertheless, they all significantly correlate with advanced or very advanced human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Molecular signature from each oncogene-induced zebrafish liver tumor correlated with only a small subset of human HCC samples, and they share conserved up-regulated pathways. A short list of commonly deregulated genes among different zebrafish liver tumors showed accordant deregulation in the majority of human HCCs, suggesting that they may serve as common diagnosis markers and therapeutic targets.Thus, these transgenic zebrafish models with well-defined oncogene-induced tumors are valuable tools for molecular classification of human HCCs and for understanding of molecular drivers in hepatocarcinogenesis in each human HCC subgroup. Transcriptome profiling of Myc tumor sample (X-M+D+) and control samples (X-M-D-, X-M+D-, X-M-D+), xmrk tumor sample (X+M-D+) and control samples (X-M-D-, X+M-D-, X-M-D+), were generated by deep sequencing, using 3' RNA-SAGE on SOLiD system
Project description:To compare the characteristics and mechanisms of Myc and xmrk induced zebrafish liver tumor, next generation sequencing-based SAGE analyses were used to examine the transcriptomes of tumor and control samples. The results indicated that relatively small overlaps of significantly deregulated genes and biological pathways among different zebrafish liver tumor models.Nevertheless, they all significantly correlate with advanced or very advanced human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Molecular signature from each oncogene-induced zebrafish liver tumor correlated with only a small subset of human HCC samples, and they share conserved up-regulated pathways. A short list of commonly deregulated genes among different zebrafish liver tumors showed accordant deregulation in the majority of human HCCs, suggesting that they may serve as common diagnosis markers and therapeutic targets.Thus, these transgenic zebrafish models with well-defined oncogene-induced tumors are valuable tools for molecular classification of human HCCs and for understanding of molecular drivers in hepatocarcinogenesis in each human HCC subgroup.
Project description:The Hippo pathway is an important regulator of organ size and tumorigenesis. It is unclear, however, how Hippo signaling provides the cellular building blocks required for rapid growth. Here, we report that transgenic zebrafish expressing an activated form of the Hippo pathway effector Yap1 develop enlarged livers and are prone to liver tumor formation. Transcriptomic profiling reveals that Yap1 reprograms genes involved in glutamine metabolism. Analysis of gene expression in WT and lf:Yap transgenic zebrafish livers.
Project description:In this study, krasV12 genetically modified zebrafish, Tg(fabp10:rtTA2s-M2; TRE2:EGFP-krasG12V), an inducible liver tumor model, was used to evaluate the promotion potential of TDCIPP for liver tumor. Briefly, krasV12 transgenic females were exposed to 0.3 mg/L TDCIPP, 20 mg/L doxycycline (DOX) and a binary mixture of 0.3 mg/L TDCIPP with 20 mg/L DOX, and liver size, histopathology, and transcriptional profiles of liver were tested. Treatment with TDCIPP increased the liver size and caused more aggressive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Furthermore, compared with the exposure to DOX, TDCIPP in the presence of DOX up-regulated the expression of genes relevant with salmonella infection and the toll-like receptor signaling pathway, implying an occurrence of inflammatory reaction, which was sustained by the increase in the amount of infiltrated neutrophils in the liver of Tg(lyz:DsRed2) transgenic zebrafish larvae. Collectively, our results suggested that TDCIPP could promote the liver tumor progression by induction of hepatic inflammatory responses.