Acid-Sensing Ion Channels in Zebrafish

Abstract

The ASICs, in mammals as in fish, control deviations from the physiological values of extracellular pH, and are involved in mechanoreception, nociception, or taste receptions. They are widely expressed in the central and peripheral nervous system. In this review, we summarized the data about the presence and localization of ASICs in different organs of zebrafish that represent one of the most used experimental models for the study of several diseases. In particular, we analyzed the data obtained by immunohistochemical and molecular biology techniques concerning the presence and expression of ASICs in the sensory organs, such as the olfactory rosette, lateral line, inner ear, taste buds, and in the gut and brain of zebrafish.

Keywords: ASICs; brain; gills; gut; ion channels; sensory organs; zebrafish.

Figure 1

(A) Schematic view of one ASIC subunit: Each subunit has two hydrophobic transmembrane domains, a large cysteine-rich extracellular loop, and short intracellular N- and C- termini; (B) phylogenetic tree illustrating the relationship of zASICs and other ASICs from human (h) and rat (r) (Paukert et al., 2004 modified).