Rab11-FIP4 is predominantly expressed in neural tissues and involved in proliferation as well as in differentiation during zebrafish retinal development

Dev Biol. 2006 Apr 1;292(1):90-102. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2005.12.050. Epub 2006 Feb 2.

Abstract

Rab11 family interacting protein 4 (Rab11-FIP4) was initially identified in humans as an Rab11-binding protein, but its biological function has remained unknown. We cloned the zebrafish orthologue of Rab11-FIP4 (zRab11-FIP4) and analyzed its function in vivo by using antisense morpholino. zRab11-FIP4 was expressed as 2 alternative transcripts, i.e., the longer A-form predominantly expressed in neural tissues and the shorter B-form expressed ubiquitously; and in situ hybridization revealed that the A-form was the dominant form. In the developing retina, zRab11-FIP4 was expressed in progenitors throughout the retina at early stages; and then, along with the differentiation, the expression became gradually restricted to the ganglion cell layer and ciliary marginal zone. zRab11-FIP4A knockdown embryos exhibited eye phenotypes similar to those of the shh mutant, such as a small eye with impaired cell proliferation and the delay in cell-cycle exit and differentiation of retinal progenitors. The lack of induction of p57kip2 and enhanced expression of cyclin D1 were observed in the morphant retina. Importantly, the delay in cell-cycle exit was rescued by ectopic expression of either p57Kip2 or dominant-negative PKA, suggesting that Rab11-FIP4A plays pivotal roles in retinal development by regulating Shh signaling and a mechanism acting in parallel with Shh signaling in the control of cell-cycle exit.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / cytology
  • Brain / embryology
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Carrier Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / physiology
  • Cell Count
  • Cell Cycle / genetics
  • Cell Cycle / physiology
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology*
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / biosynthesis
  • Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / genetics
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p57 / biosynthesis
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p57 / genetics
  • Hedgehog Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / physiology
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense
  • Retina / cytology
  • Retina / embryology*
  • Retina / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Stem Cells / cytology
  • Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Trans-Activators / physiology
  • Zebrafish / embryology*
  • Zebrafish Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Zebrafish Proteins / genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins / physiology
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins / physiology

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p57
  • Hedgehog Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense
  • Trans-Activators
  • Zebrafish Proteins
  • rab11fip4a protein, zebrafish
  • Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases
  • rab11 protein
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins