Generation of Transparent Zebrafish with Fluorescent Ovaries: A Living Visible Model for Reproductive Biology

Abstract

The transparent zebrafish enables researchers to study the morphology and distribution of cells and tissues in vivo. To capture the dynamic processes of germ cell proliferation and juvenile ovarian development in zebrafish in vivo, we established transgenic (TG) lines to allow us to monitor the changes in the ovaries of living fish. The original transgenic line with ovarian fluorescence was occasionally established. Although the cDNA integrated in the strain was constructed for the expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) driven by the medaka β-actin promoter, expression of EGFP is restricted to the oocytes and gills in adult fish. Mutant strains with transparent bodies, roy and ruby, were isolated in zebrafish. In this study, we crossed the TG strain with fluorescent ovary with transparent strains and established the TG (β-actin:EGFP);ruby strain. The strain is highly transparent, and the oocytes are easily observed in living fish. We identified a fluorescent tissue that might contain the undifferentiated germ cells close to the cloaca in the strain. This strain can be used for analysis of ovarian development in vivo.