Name: an assay for permeability of the zebrafish embryonic neuroepithelium
Uploaded: 2012-10-24T12:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An Assay for Permeability of the Zebrafish Embryonic Neuroepithelium at JoVE.com

This work was supported by the National Institute for Mental Health, and National Science Foundation. Special thanks to Sive lab members for many useful discussions and constructive criticism, and to Olivier Paugois for expert fish husbandry.

1. Preparing for Microinjection
<ol>
 <li>Prepare microinjection needles by pulling capillary tubes using Sutter instruments needle puller.</li>
 <li>Load microinjection needle with fluorescent dye (FITC-Dextran).</li>
 <li>Mount needle on micromanipulator and microinjection apparatus.</li>
 <li>Carefully break microinjection needle using forceps to roughly 2 &mu;m in width, however, this will vary depending on your microinjector setup. For our microinjection needles, this corresponds to the first region of the needle ...

<ol>
	<li>Harrington, M. J., Hong, E., Brewster, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comparative+analysis+of+neurulation:+first+impressions+do+not+count.">Comparative analysis of neurulation: first impressions do not count.</a> Mol. Reprod. Dev. 76, 954-965 (2009).</li><li>Lowery, L. A., Sive, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Strategies+of+vertebrate+neurulation+and+a+re-evaluation+of+teleost+neural+tube+formation.">Strategies of vertebrate neurulation and a re-evaluation of teleost neural tube formation.</a> Mech. Dev. 121, 1189-1197 (2004).</li><li>Salehi, Z., Mashayekhi, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+role+of+cerebrospinal+fluid+on+neural+cell+survival+in+the+developing+chick+cerebral+cortex:+an+in+vivo+study.">The role of cerebrospinal fluid on neural cell survival in the developing chick cerebral cortex: an in vivo study.</a> Eur. J. Neurol. 13, 760-764 (2006).</li><li>Martin, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Early+embryonic+brain+development+in+rats+requires+the+trophic+influence+of+cerebrospinal+fluid.">Early embryonic brain development in rats requires the trophic influence of cerebrospinal fluid.</a> Int. J. Dev. Neurosci. 27, 733-740 (2009).</li><li>Lehtinen, M. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+cerebrospinal+fluid+provides+a+proliferative+niche+for+neural+progenitor+cells.">The cerebrospinal fluid provides a proliferative niche for neural progenitor cells.</a> Neuron. 69, 893-905 (2011).</li><li>Gato, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Embryonic+cerebrospinal+fluid+regulates+neuroepithelial+survival,+proliferation,+and+neurogenesis+in+chick+embryos.">Embryonic cerebrospinal fluid regulates neuroepithelial survival, proliferation, and neurogenesis in chick embryos.</a> Anat. Rec. A. Discov. Mol. Cell Evol. Biol. 284, 475-484 (2005).</li><li>Lowery, L. A., Sive, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Totally+tubular:+the+mystery+behind+function+and+origin+of+the+brain+ventricular+system.">Totally tubular: the mystery behind function and origin of the brain ventricular system.</a> Bioessays. 31, 446-458 (2009).</li><li>Lowery, L. A., Sive, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Initial+formation+of+zebrafish+brain+ventricles+occurs+independently+of+circulation+and+requires+the+nagie+oko+and+snakehead/atp1a1a.1+gene+products.">Initial formation of zebrafish brain ventricles occurs independently of circulation and requires the nagie oko and snakehead/atp1a1a.1 gene products.</a> Development. 132, 2057-2067 (2005).</li><li>Zhang, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Establishment+of+a+neuroepithelial+barrier+by+Claudin5a+is+essential+for+zebrafish+brain+ventricular+lumen+expansion.">Establishment of a neuroepithelial barrier by Claudin5a is essential for zebrafish brain ventricular lumen expansion.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107, 1425-1430 (2010).</li><li>Gutzman, J. H., Sive, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Zebrafish+brain+ventricle+injection.">Zebrafish brain ventricle injection.</a> J. Vis. Exp. , (2009).</li><li>Kimmel, C. B., Ballard, W. W., Kimmel, S. R., Ullmann, B., Schilling, T. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Stages+of+embryonic+development+of+the+zebrafish.">Stages of embryonic development of the zebrafish.</a> Dev. Dyn. 203, 253-310 (1995).</li><li>Westerfield, M., Sprague, J., Doerry, E., Douglas, S., Grp, Z. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Zebrafish+Information+Network+(ZFIN):+a+resource+for+genetic,+genomic+and+developmental+research.">The Zebrafish Information Network (ZFIN): a resource for genetic, genomic and developmental research.</a> Nucleic Acids Research. 29, 87-90 (2001).</li></ol>

We demonstrate the ability to quantify permeability of the living embryonic zebrafish brain as determined for an injected dye of a given molecular weight. Our observation that the embryonic zebrafish neuroepithelium is differentially permeable to dyes of differing molecular weights suggests that the dye is moving via paracellular permeability. However, we cannot rule out the possibility of a transcellular contribution to the observed permeability. This technique could be applied to any other tubular structure as long as ...

<table border="1">
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>Name of Reagent</td>
 <td>Company</td>
 <td>Catalogue number</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Dextran, Fluorescein, Anionic, Lysine Fixable</td>
 <td>Invitrogen</td>
 <td>D7136, D7137, D1822, D1820, D1845</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Tricaine powder</td>
 <td>Sigma</td>
 <td>A5040</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Capillary Tubes</td>
 <td>FHC Inc.</td>
 <td>30-30-1</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

an assay for permeability of the zebrafish embryonic neuroepithelium

The brain ventricular system is conserved among vertebrates and is composed of a series of interconnected cavities called brain ventricles, which form during the earliest stages of brain development and are maintained throughout the animal's life. The brain ventricular system is found in vertebrates, and the ventricles develop after neural tube formation, when the central lumen fills with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 1,2. CSF is a protein rich fluid that is essential for normal brain development and function3-6.
In zebrafish, brain ventricle inflation begins at approximately 18 hr post fertilization (hpf), after the neural tube is closed. Multiple processes are associated with brain ventricle formation, including formation of a neuroepithelium, tight junction formation that regulates permeability and CSF production. We showed that the Na,K-ATPase is required for brain ventricle inflation, impacting all these processes 7,8, while claudin 5a is necessary for tight junction formation 9. Additionally, we showed that "relaxation" of the embryonic neuroepithelium, via inhibition of myosin, is associated with brain ventricle inflation.
To investigate the regulation of permeability during zebrafish brain ventricle inflation, we developed a ventricular dye retention assay. This method uses brain ventricle injection in a living zebrafish embryo, a technique previously developed in our lab10, to fluorescently label the cerebrospinal fluid. Embryos are then imaged over time as the fluorescent dye moves through the brain ventricles and neuroepithelium. The distance the dye front moves away from the basal (non-luminal) side of the neuroepithelium over time is quantified and is a measure of neuroepithelial permeability (Figure 1). We observe that dyes 70 kDa and smaller will move through the neuroepithelium and can be detected outside the embryonic zebrafish brain at 24 hpf (Figure 2).
This dye retention assay can be used to analyze neuroepithelial permeability in a variety of different genetic backgrounds, at different times during development, and after environmental perturbations. It may also be useful in examining pathological accumulation of CSF. Overall, this technique allows investigators to analyze the role and regulation of permeability during development and disease.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An Assay for Permeability of the Zebrafish Embryonic Neuroepithelium at JoVE.com

An Assay for Permeability of the Zebrafish Embryonic Neuroepithelium

We describe a live whole animal quantitative measurement for permeability of the embryonic zebrafish brain. The technique analyzes the ability to retain cerebrospinal fluid and molecules of different molecular weights within the neural tube lumen and quantifies their movement out of the ventricles. This method is useful for determining differences in epithelial permeability and maturation during development and disease.

The brain ventricular system is conserved among vertebrates and is composed of a series of interconnected cavities called brain ventricles, which form ...

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