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Focal gene misexpression in zebrafish embryos induced by local heat shock using a modified soldering iron
Author(s) -
Hardy Melissa E.,
Ross Louis V.,
Chien ChiBin
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.21318
Subject(s) - biology , zebrafish , transgene , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , repressor , heat shock protein , promoter , gene expression , genetics
Misexpression of genes in a temporally and spatially controlled fashion is an important tool for assessing gene function during development. Because few tissue‐specific promoters have been identified in zebrafish, inducible systems such as the Cre/LoxP and Tet repressor systems are of limited utility. Here we describe a new method of misexpression: local heat shock using a modified soldering iron. Zebrafish carrying transgenes under the control of a heat shock promoter ( hsp70 ) are focally heated with the soldering iron to induce gene expression in a small area of the embryo. We have validated this method in three stable transgenic lines and at three developmental timepoints. Local heat shock is a fast, easy, and inexpensive method for gene misexpression. Developmental Dynamics 236:3071–3076, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.