PUBLICATION

Neural and Synaptic Defects in slytherin, a Zebrafish Model for Human Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation

Authors
Song, Y., Willer, J.R., Scherer, P.C., Panzer, J.A., Kugath, A., Skordalakes, E., Gregg, R.G., Willer, G.B., and Balice-Gordon, R.J.
ID
ZDB-PUB-101115-11
Date
2010
Source
PLoS One   5(10): e13743 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Balice-Gordon, Rita J., Gregg, Ronald G., Kugath, Amy, Willer, Jason
Keywords
Embryos, Notch signaling, Motor neurons, Phenotypes, Axons, Spinal cord, Retina, Superior colliculus
MeSH Terms
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation/genetics*
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Glycosylation
  • Humans
  • Hydro-Lyases/genetics*
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation, Missense
  • Nervous System/metabolism*
  • RNA, Messenger/genetics
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Synapses/metabolism*
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
21060795 Full text @ PLoS One
Abstract
Congenital disorder of glycosylation type IIc (CDG IIc) is characterized by mental retardation, slowed growth and severe immunodeficiency, attributed to the lack of fucosylated glycoproteins. While impaired Notch signaling has been implicated in some aspects of CDG IIc pathogenesis, the molecular and cellular mechanisms remain poorly understood. We have identified a zebrafish mutant slytherin (srn), which harbors a missense point mutation in GDP-mannose 4,6 dehydratase (GMDS), the rate-limiting enzyme in protein fucosylation, including that of Notch. Here we report that some of the mechanisms underlying the neural phenotypes in srn and in CGD IIc are Notch-dependent, while others are Notch-independent. We show, for the first time in a vertebrate in vivo, that defects in protein fucosylation leads to defects in neuronal differentiation, maintenance, axon branching, and synapse formation. Srn is thus a useful and important vertebrate model for human CDG IIc that has provided new insights into the neural phenotypes that are hallmarks of the human disorder and has also highlighted the role of protein fucosylation in neural development.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping