PRELIMINARY STUDY ON FUNCTIONS OF ZEBRAFISH CAVEOLIN-1

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is the key structural protein of caveolae that regulates cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis through its interaction with multiple signaling molecules. Abnormal expression of cav-1 genes is closely associated with development and progression of various human diseases, while functions of Cav-1 in zebrafish remain largely unknown. In the study, we have cloned full-length cDNAs for two Cav-1 isoforms from zebrafish.Alignment of amino acid sequences for Cav-1s from multiple species indicates that vertebrate Cav-1 proteins are highly conserved during evolution. Transcriptional expression of cav-1α and cav-1β was found in most of adult tissues detected with RT-PCR. Spatiotemporal expression patterns of some tissue-specific marker genes were investigated withwhole-mount in situ hybridization during embryonic development. Over-expression or knockdown with MOs of cav-1α markedly affected the development of notochord and somite, while over-expression or knockdown of cav-1β resulted in abnormal liver development. In addition, over-expression or knockdown with MOs of cav-1α or -1β led to abnormal neural development. Therefore, Cav-1 plays crucial roles in maintenance of physiological functions of adult tissues and organs and in regulation of zebrafish embryonic development.