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Trout Ea4‐ or human Eb‐peptide of pro‐IGF‐I disrupts heart, red blood cell, and vasculature development in zebrafish embryos

E‐peptide of the pro‐insulin‐like growth factor (pro‐IGF)‐I is produced by proteolytic cleavage of the pro‐hormone in post‐translational processing. Introduction of a transgene encoding a secreted form of rtEa4‐ or hEb‐peptide into newly fertilized zebrafish (Danio rerio) eggs by electroporation or microinjection resulted in embryos with abnormal cardiovascular features and reduced red blood cells and vasculature. Two different phenocopies of heart developmental defects were observed: (i) Group I embryos exhibited heart development arrested at the heart muscle stage and (ii) group II embryos exhibited heart development arrested at the heart tube stage. Both groups of embryos also exhibited reduction of red blood cells and vasculature. The mRNA levels of genes essential for heart development (GATA 5 and NKX2.5), hematopoiesis (GATA 1 and GATA 2), and vasculogenesis (VEGF) in normal and defective embryos were determined by quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR at 36 hr post‐fertilization (hpf). Significant reduction of GATA 5, NKX2.5, GATA 1, GATA 2, and VEGF mRNA levels was observed in both groups of defective embryos. These results suggest that overexpression of rtEa4 or hEb transgene in zebrafish embryos disrupts heart development, hematopoiesis, and vasculogenesis by reducing the levels of GATA 5, NKX2.5, GATA 1, GATA 2, and VEGF mRNA. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 1112–1121, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.