Cold exposure down-regulates zebrafish pigmentation

摘要: Vertebrates use adaptive mechanisms when exposed to physiologic stresses. However, the of pigmentation regulation in response stresses largely remain unclear. To address this issue, we developed a novel model adult zebrafish using coldwater exposure (cold zebrafish). When were maintained at 17 °C, their pigment stripes was reduced compared with 26.5 °C (normal In cold zebrafish, gene expression levels tyrosinase and dopachrome tautomerase, which encode enzymes involved melanogenesis, down-regulated, suggesting that either down-regulation melanin synthesis occurred or number melanophores decreased. Both regular electron microscopic observation skin showed decreased, whereas aggregation melanosomes not changed normal zebrafish. Taken together, here show down-regulated through decreasing propose is powerful tool for research.