Small Christopher D, El-Khoury Megan, Deslongchamps Ghislain, Benfey Tillmann J, Crawford Bryan D
Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada.
Chemistry Department, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada.
J Dev Biol. 2020 Jan 31;8(1):3. doi: 10.3390/jdb8010003.
Hypoxia induces precocious hatching in zebrafish, but we do not have a clear understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating the activation of the hatching enzyme or how these mechanisms trigger precocious hatching under unfavorable environmental conditions. Using immunohistochemistry, pharmacological inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (Mmp13), and in vivo zymography, we show that Mmp13a is present in the hatching gland just as embryos become hatching competent and that Mmp13a activity is required for both normal hatching and hypoxia-induced precocious hatching. We conclude that Mmp13a likely functions in activating the hatching enzyme zymogen and that Mmp13a activity is necessary but not sufficient for hatching in zebrafish. This study highlights the broad nature of MMP function in development and provides a non-mammalian example of extra-embryonic processes mediated by MMP activity.
缺氧会诱导斑马鱼早熟孵化，但我们对调节孵化酶激活的分子机制，或这些机制如何在不利环境条件下引发早熟孵化尚不清楚。通过免疫组织化学、基质金属蛋白酶13（Mmp13）的药理学抑制以及体内酶谱分析，我们发现，就在胚胎具备孵化能力时，Mmp13a存在于孵化腺中，并且正常孵化和缺氧诱导的早熟孵化都需要Mmp13a的活性。我们得出结论，Mmp13a可能在激活孵化酶原中发挥作用，并且Mmp13a的活性对于斑马鱼孵化是必要的，但不是充分的。这项研究突出了MMP在发育过程中功能的广泛性，并提供了一个由MMP活性介导的胚外过程的非哺乳动物实例。
