Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Academia Road Section 2, Nankang, 128 Taipei, Taiwan.
Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2009 Nov 27;312(1-2):31-4. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2009.07.030. Epub 2009 Aug 12.
Zebrafish has been used increasingly as a good animal model for a number of studies. To facilitate the use of this zebrafish model, the current report put emphasis on the study of two steroidogenic genes: cyp11a1 and hsd3b. These two genes encode enzymes that catalyze the first two steps of the steroidogenic pathway, and both enzymes are important for the synthesis of all steroids. Zebrafish cyp11a1 and hsd3b genes are expressed in the same cells in the gonads and interrenal gland. The interrenal gland is the counterpart of mammalian adrenal; it is located inside the head kidney and is developed parallel to the development of the pronephros. In addition, cyp11a1 and hsd3b are also expressed in the blastomeres of the early embryos before gastrulation, and in the extra-embryonic yolk syncytial layer during gastrulation. This early expression implies a novel role of steroids at gastrulation.
斑马鱼被越来越多地用作许多研究的良好动物模型。为了便于使用这种斑马鱼模型，本报告重点研究了两种类固醇生成基因：cyp11a1 和 hsd3b。这两个基因编码催化类固醇生成途径前两步的酶，这两种酶对所有类固醇的合成都很重要。斑马鱼 cyp11a1 和 hsd3b 基因在性腺和肾上腺中相同的细胞中表达。肾上腺是哺乳动物肾上腺的对应物；它位于头部肾脏内，与前肾的发育平行。此外，cyp11a1 和 hsd3b 在原肠胚形成前的早期胚胎的卵裂球中以及原肠胚形成期间的胚外卵黄合胞层中也有表达。这种早期表达暗示了类固醇在原肠胚形成过程中的新作用。
