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Abnormal development of the paired and median fins in the hyperthyroidism case series of the zebrafish ( Danio rerio )
Author(s) -
Siomava Natalia,
Shkil Fedor,
Voronezhskaya Elena,
Diogo Rui
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.777.2
Subject(s) - appendicular skeleton , danio , zebrafish , thyroid , biology , pathological , heterochrony , phenotype , hormone , anatomy , physiology , pathology , endocrinology , medicine , genetics , ontogeny , gene
Hypo‐ and hyperthyroidism are severe medical conditions frequently found in humans living all over the globe. These diseases are caused by the dysfunction of the thyroid gland and lead to the abnormal embryonic development, various neurological problems, and brain damage. In order to better understand these two conditions in humans, we used zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) as a model to study the variability of effects of thyroid hormones. We compared normal development of zebrafish fins with pathological series of fishes extensively treated with triiodothyronine (T3) hormone. Analysis of the fish hyperthyroidism case series revealed certain symptoms similar to those present in human patients. Namely, we observed malformations of the appendicular skeleton and fusion of bones, likely occurred due to the late ossification, as well as significant underdevelopment of the appendicular musculature. Surprisingly, T3 hormone treatment induced excessive myogenesis in the dorsal and anal fin folds where muscles do not normally develop. In addition to various anatomical defects, hyperthyroidism resulted into accelerated growth of fishes in general and led to heterochrony. Interestingly, defects found in our pathological series seem to be similar to defects caused in zebrafishes by stress of the environmental change. These similarities between defects caused by completely different conditions support Pere Alberch's idea of ‘logic of monsters', according to which evolution is so constrained that even when it goes ‘wrong’ ‐ e.g. in cases of severe defects ‐ the resulting phenotypes mirror those seen in other abnormal conditions as well as those seen in the natural variations and/or normal phenotype of other taxa. These results have crucial implications for both Evo‐Devo research and evolutionary developmental medicine, or ‘Evo‐Devo‐Path’. Specifically, because hyper‐ and hypothyroidism are two disorders frequently found in humans, and because such conditions are deeply connected with heterochrony and thus with micro‐ and macroevolution. Support or Funding Information This work was supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project nos. 14‐04‐00590 and 17‐04‐01617. The research was done using equipment of the Core Centrum of Institute of Developmental Biology RAS. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .