Generating New NF2A Zebrafish Models
Abstract
The neurofibromin 2 gene (NF2) encodes for a cytoskeleton protein, NF2, also called Merlin or schwannomin, and is highly conserved in metazoan. NF2 has important roles in embryonic development and is also a tumor suppressor gene that is commonly mutated in many cancers and schwannomas. Zebrafish have become a model for cancer research due to the vertebrate biology similarities they share with humans, their convenient genetics and transparent embryonic development. Zebrafish have two orthologs of the human NF2 gene, nf2a and nf2b. Currently, there is a nf2b mutant line available that has not been well characterized, however, there are no mutants currently available for nf2a. In order to investigate the roles these genes have during development and tumorigenesis using the zebrafish model, four nf2a mutant zebrafish lines were generated using CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats). The nf2a homozygous mutants are viable to adulthood and do not have overt morphological alterations. Together with the existing nf2b mutant, these newly generated nf2a zebrafish mutants can serve as a vertebrate model for elucidating the developmental and cellular mechanisms of the human NF2 gene in diseases and cancers associated with NF2.
Degree
M.S.
Advisors
Zhang, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Biology
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