Hamaoka, T., Takechi, M., Chinen, A., Nishiwaki, Y. and Kawamura, S. (2002). Visualization of rod photoreceptor development using GFP-transgenic zebrafish. Genesis, 34 (3):215-220.


We established the transgenic lines of zebrafish carrying green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene under the 1.1-kb and 3.7-kb upstream regions of the rod-opsin gene (RH1). In transgenic fishes GFP expression initiated and proceeded in the same spatiotemporal pattern with rod-opsin gene. The retinal section from adult transgenic fish showed GFP expression throughout the rod cell layer. These results indicate that the proximal 1.1-kb region is sufficient to drive gene expression in all rod photoreceptor cells. These transgenic fish should facilitate screening of mutants affected specifically with rod-opsin expression or rod cell development by visualization of rod cells by GFP.