Fig. 1

A novel small molecule screen reveals that prostaglandins alter nephron patterning.

(A) A diagram detailing the segmentation of the pronephros in relation to somites within the zebrafish embryo. Arrows indicate the blood filter, duct, and cloaca. (B) A schematic of the chemical genetic screen used for evaluating small molecules. Embryos were arrayed in 96-well plates and then exposed to drugs diluted in E3 medium from 60% epiboly to 24 hpf, where the embryos were then fixed and underwent WISH using a riboprobe cocktail to detect the P (wt1b), PCT (slc20a1a), and DE (slc12a1). Black and blue bars are used to illustrate changes between the WT embryo and an embryo with a patterning phenotype, respectively. (C) A pie graph and table denoting the number and percentage of small molecules hits from the chemical screen that expanded or restricted the P (blue and teal), PCT (green and purple) or DE (red and yellow). (D) WISH in 24 hpf stage embryos to detect the P (wt1b), PCT (slc20a1a), and DE (slc12a1) in WTs and those treated with 4-HPR, PGD₂, PGA₁, PGJ₂, and PGB₂. A black or blue bar was used to notate the segment change between the WT and drug treated embryos, respectively. Red scale bar, 70 µm. (E) Schematic showing example components of prostaglandin production and signaling. The precursor arachidonic acid (AA) interacts with either the Ptgs1 or Ptgs2a enzyme to generate an intermediate moiety, with the example here being PGH₂. The intermediate interacts with a subsequent enzyme to produce the bioactive prostanoid molecule. Here, we depict the prostaglandin E synthase, Ptges, creating the bioactive prostaglandin PGE₂ that can transduce signals through binding several G-protein coupled receptors such as Ptger2a and Ptger4a. Other receptors work with other bioactive prostaglandins. Indomethacin is a nonselective Cox (Ptgs1/Ptgs2a) inhibitor that prevents prostaglandin biosynthesis.