Fig. 1

Inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis alters exocrine pancreas development.

(a) Drug treatment strategy. (b) Whole body and exocrine pancreas phenotype in control and DFMO-treated Tg(ptf1a:gfp) embryos at 48 hpf and 72 hpf. (c) The number of fish at 72 hpf with a normal (n = 30) or a shortened (n = 45) exocrine pancreas, as observed by expression of ptf1a:GFP. (d) Quantification of exocrine pancreas length in control (n = 7) and DFMO-treated (n = 16) Tg(ptf1a:gfp) embryos at 72 hpf (p = 0.0002); this represents a 46% difference in exocrine pancreas length. (e) Representative images from in situ hybridization for expression of the gene encoding trypsin (try) on control and DFMO-treated embryos at 72 hpf. (f) Number of control (n = 24) and DFMO-treated (n = 24) embryos with a normal or reduced trypsin (try) expression domain at 72 hpf. Wholemount fluorescent in situ hybridization for trypsin gene expression (try) was performed on (g) control and (h) DFMO-treated Tg(ptf1a:gfp) embryos. The corresponding maximum intensity projection of try expression in (g′) control and (h′) DFMO-treated Tg(ptf1a:gfp) embryos; the white dotted line outlines the ptf1a:GFP + exocrine pancreas domain. r, retina; hb, hindbrain; p, pancreas.