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Rrn3 gene knockout affects ethanol-induced locomotion in adult heterozygous zebrafish

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Abstract

Genome-wide analysis has identified the transcription factor, RRN3 (or TIF-1A), on human chromosome 16p13.11 as a candidate gene associated with mental disorders. Both genetic and biochemical experiments have demonstrated that RRN3 plays a major role in the transcriptional regulation of ribosomal DNA and cell growth. Previous research has suggested that loss of RRN3 from mature neurons reproduces the chronic nature of neurodegenerative processes. Here, we report the first generation and characterization of rrn3 mutant zebrafish in larval and adult stages using the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technique. Homozygous knockout zebrafish exhibited morphological changes, such as pericardial oedema and deformed heads, and died at the larval stage of embryonic development. Behaviourally, the locomotion and shoaling behaviour of adult rrn3+/− zebrafish was not significantly different compared with rrn3+/+ zebrafish. Notably, rrn3+/− zebrafish demonstrated abnormal locomotor activity in response to ethanol. We found decreased norepinephrine expression in the brains of rrn3+/− zebrafish when treated with ethanol. In summary, our results indicated that rrn3 was closely associated with early embryonic development in zebrafish. Furthermore, behavioural and neurochemical research revealed the importance of genetic differences in drug sensitivity. The results suggest that caution should be taken when treating RRN3 heterozygous patients.

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Abbreviations

CNVs:

Copy number variations

NE:

Norepinephrine

WISH:

Whole-mount in situ hybridization

dpf:

Days post-fertilization

mpf:

Months post-fertilization

gRNA:

Guide RNA

RT-qPCR:

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction

HPLC:

High-precision liquid chromatography

CPP:

Conditioned place preference

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Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, No. 81771632 and No. 81271509) to Qiang Li and (NSFC, No. 81601329) to Xiuyun Liu as well as Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (21ZR1410100) to Qiang Li.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Institute of Pediatrics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect Prevention and Control, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, National Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai, China

    Fei Li, Jia Lin, Tingting Li, Jing Jian, Qi Zhang, Yinglan Zhang, Xiuyun Liu & Qiang Li

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  1. Fei Li
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  2. Jia Lin
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Correspondence to Qiang Li.

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Li, F., Lin, J., Li, T. et al. Rrn3 gene knockout affects ethanol-induced locomotion in adult heterozygous zebrafish. Psychopharmacology 239, 621–630 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-021-06056-7

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