Global analysis of the haematopoietic and endothelial transcriptome during zebrafish development

• Published in: Mechanisms of development 2013-02, Vol.130 (2-3), p.122-131
• Main Authors: Cannon, J.E., Place, E.S., Eve, A.M.J., Bradshaw, C.R., Sesay, A., Morrell, N.W., Smith, J.C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Cells, Cultured; Danio rerio; Endothelial cell; Endothelial Cells - metabolism; Endothelium, Vascular - cytology; Endothelium, Vascular - embryology; Erythroid Cells - metabolism; Freshwater; Haematopoiesis; Hematopoiesis; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; High-throughput sequencing; Myeloid Cells - metabolism; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Transcriptome; Zebrafish; Zebrafish - embryology; Zebrafish - genetics; Zebrafish Proteins - genetics; Zebrafish Proteins - metabolism
• ISSN: 0925-4773; 1872-6356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2012.10.002

► Transcriptome of developing blood and vascular endothelial cells in zebrafish is described. ► 388 Novel genes expressed by blood and endothelial cells are identified. ► tmem88a and trim2a are novel genes required for primitive erythropoiesis and myelopoiesis. In this paper, we use zebrafish embryos to characterise the transcriptome of the developing blood and endothelium, two cell types that are closely associated during development. High-throughput sequencing identified 754 genes whose transcripts are enriched threefold or more in blood and/or vascular endothelial cells compared with the rest of the embryo at 26–28h post fertilisation. Of these genes, 388 were classified as novel to these cell types after cross-reference with PubMed and the zebrafish information network (ZFIN). Analysis by quantitative PCR and in situ hybridisation showed that 83% (n=41) of these novel genes are expressed in blood or vascular endothelium. Of 10 novel genes selected for knockdown by antisense morpholino oligonucleotides, we confirmed that two, tmem88a and trim2a, are required for primitive erythropoiesis and myelopoiesis. Our results provide a catalogue of genes whose expression is enriched in the developing blood and endothelium in zebrafish, many of which will be required for the development of those cell types, both in fish and in mammals.