Celebration of Scholars
GNAQ Transgenic Zebrafish Display Hyperactive Melanophore Migration During Pattern Reformation
Name:
Melanie Gucwa
Major: Biology
Hometown: Carol Stream, IL
Faculty Sponsor: Andrea Henle
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Independent research
Name:
Steven Wright
Major: Biology
Hometown: Racine, WI
Faculty Sponsor: Andrea Henle
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Independent research
Abstract
Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that arises from mutations in melanophores that promote hyperactive pigmentation. Uveal melanoma is a melanoma that commonly develops in the choroid of the eye. Danio rerio, a species of zebrafish, is a prevalent model organism used to study melanoma and pigment pattern formation. We use zebrafish with a hyperactive GNAQQ209L mutation in melanophores to model uveal melanoma. The mutation affects a G𝛼 subunit where it remains bound to GTP, prolonging the activation of downstream signaling. However, the direct cellular response to this mutation is not fully understood. We utilized zebrafish caudal fin regeneration post-amputation as a way to observe melanophore migration in the adult fin as its pattern reforms. Images were taken daily for 30 days of wild type and transgenic zebrafish, and pigmentation of the regenerating caudal fin was measured and analyzed with FIJI software at the large-scale pigmentation and single-cell level. The movement of individual cells was also analyzed via tracking software to understand individual melanophore migratory behavior. Results show a significant increase in pigmented area in GNAQ transgenic fish and a lack of pattern reformation, indicating that a cellular effect of the GNAQQ209L mutation is overactive melanophore migration. This research is significant because it allows for a better understanding of the role of GNAQQ209L in cell migration and potentially in the metastasis of cancer.
Submit date: Feb. 25, 2021, 2:38 p.m.