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A role for transcription factor glial cell missing 2 in Ca2+ homeostasis in zebrafish, Danio rerio

  • Molecular and genomic physiology
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Abstract

The present study investigated the role of the transcription factor, glial cell missing 2 (gcm2), in Ca2+ regulation in zebrafish larvae. Translational gene knockdown of gcm2 decreased Ca2+ uptake and the density of ionocytes expressing the epithelial Ca2+ channel (ecac), and disrupted the overall Ca2+ balance. Ca2+ uptake and the expression of gcm2 messenger RNA (mRNA) were significantly elevated in larvae acclimated to low Ca2+ water (25 μM); the stimulation of Ca2+ uptake was not observed in fish experiencing gcm2 knockdown. Acclimation to acidic water (pH 4) significantly reduced whole-body Ca2+ content owing to reduced Ca2+ uptake and increased Ca2+ efflux. However, ecac mRNA levels and the density of ecac-expressing ionocytes were increased in fish acclimated to acidic water, and maximal Ca2+ uptake capacity (J MAX) was significantly increased when measured in control water (pH ~7.4). Acclimation of larvae to acidic water significantly increased gcm2 mRNA expression, and in gcm2 morphants, no such stimulation in Ca2+ uptake was observed after their return to control water. Overexpression of gcm2 mRNA resulted in a significant increase in the numbers of ecac-expressing ionocytes and Ca2+ uptake. These observations reveal a critical role for gcm2 in Ca2+ homeostasis in zebrafish larvae.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Vishal Saxena and Bill Fletcher at the University of Ottawa for their excellent animal care. We also thank Alison Castle for her assistance with cortisol assay. This study was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery and Research Tools and Innovation grants to SFP. YK was supported by an Ontario Graduate Scholarship during the tenure of this study.

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  1. Yusuke Kumai

    Present address: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA

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  1. Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6 N5, Canada

    Yusuke Kumai, Raymond W. M. Kwong & Steve F. Perry

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  1. Yusuke Kumai
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Correspondence to Steve F. Perry.

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Kumai, Y., Kwong, R.W.M. & Perry, S.F. A role for transcription factor glial cell missing 2 in Ca2+ homeostasis in zebrafish, Danio rerio . Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 467, 753–765 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-014-1544-9

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