Disease relevance of zgc:158535

• Twelve cell lines were established by single-colony isolation from tumor-like testis-derived ZtA6 cells, and the features characteristic of Sertoli cells such as phagocytic activity and transcription both of their specific genes, sox9a and Wilms' tumor suppressor WT1, and of the vas gene of germ cells were analyzed in the lines [1].

High impact information on zgc:158535

• Here, we describe the asymmetric segregation of zebrafish vasa RNA, which distinguishes germ cell precursors from somatic cells in cleavage stage embryos [2].
• Blocking DNA replication indicates that the change in vasa RNA segregation is dependent on a maternal program [2].
• Furthermore, ultrastructural analysis of vasa RNA particles reveals that vasa RNA, but not Vasa protein, localizes to a subcellular structure that resembles nuage, a germ plasm organelle [2].
• Expression of the germ cell marker gene vas was prolonged in co-culture with the feeders, compared with culture of dissociated testicular cells alone, indicating that the feeder cells stimulate proliferation of spermatogonia [3].
• RESULTS: To analyze whether the machinery responsible for RNA localization is conserved among lower vertebrates, we tested different vasa homologs for their ability to localize in Xenopus oocytes [4].

Biological context of zgc:158535

• Zebrafish maternal-effect mutations causing cytokinesis defect without affecting mitosis or equatorial vasa deposition [5].
• Here we report that the germ plasm RNAs vasa, nanos1, and dazl co-localize with the mitochondrial cloud (MC) and are transported to the vegetal cortex during early oogenesis [6].
• The 5' end of zebrafish vasa is rich in repeats; it includes a peculiar tandem repeat with three units spanning a total of eight exons, each unit containing several tandemly arranged RNA-binding motifs (RGG boxes) [7].
• Analysis of vasa transcripts in zebrafish identified numerous isoforms resulting from alternative splicing (seven) and polyadenylation (four) [7].
• We have used vas regulatory regions to establish transgenic zebrafish lines expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in their PGCs [8].

Anatomical context of zgc:158535

• An evolutionary conserved region in the vasa 3'UTR targets RNA translation to the germ cells in the zebrafish [4].
• Putative maternal vlg transcripts were detected shortly after fertilization and from the blastula stage onwards, expression was restricted to migratory cells most likely to be primordial germ cells [9].
• Expression of vas, strongly expressed in spermatogonia and premeiotic spermatocytes, was prolonged in the culture with ZtA6-2, while it reduced in that with ZtA6-12 [1].
• CONCLUSIONS: Our data support two functions for the microtubule reorganization at the furrow, one for the exocytosis of adhesive membrane, and another for the translocation of vasa RNA along the forming furrow [10].
• We show that the localization of maternal vasa RNA in the ovary changes from cytoplasmic, in the previtellogenic oocytes, to cortical in the vitellogenic oocytes, to concentrate at the boundary of the yolk and cytoplasm in the one cell stage zygote [11].

Associations of zgc:158535 with chemical compounds

• We utilized antisense RNA probes to vasa mRNA in whole mount in situ hybridization analysis in order to examine the early migration and distribution of PGCs in embryos exposed to endosulfan and nonylphenol [12].

Other interactions of zgc:158535

• We show that aggregates of a first class of germ plasm components, which include dead end, nanos1, and vasa RNAs, are initially present in a wide cortical band at the animal pole [13].
• Two zebrafish vasa-related genes were isolated, pl10a and vlg [9].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of zgc:158535

• The vasa RNA localization phenotype could be mimicked with microtubule-inhibiting drugs, and confocal microscopy suggests an interaction between microtubules and vasa-RNA-containing aggregates [10].
• We carried out micromanipulation of 4- or 8-cell stage embryos to remove the vasa mRNA-containig spots and then measured the number of the vasa-expressing PGCs in the genital ridge of the manipulated embryos [14].
• Northern blotting revealed that zebrafish vasa homologue (vas) transcript is present in embryos just after fertilization, and hence it is probably maternally supplied [15].

References