Combined antisense knockdown of type 1 and type 2 iodothyronine deiodinases disrupts embryonic development in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Thyroid hormones (THs) are important regulators of gene expression during vertebrate development. In teleosts, early embryos rely on the maternal TH deposit in the egg yolk, consisting predominantly of T(4). Activation of T(4) to T(3) by iodothyronine deiodinases (Ds) may therefore be an important factor in determining T(3)-dependent development. In zebrafish, both Ds capable of T(3) production, D1 and D2, are first expressed very early during embryonic development. We sought to determine their relative importance for zebrafish embryonic development by inhibiting their expression via antisense oligonucleotides against D1 and D2, and by a combined knockdown of both deiodinases. The impact of these treatments on the rate of embryonic development was estimated via three morphological indices: otic vesicle length, head-trunk angle and pigmentation index. Knockdown of D1 alone seemed not to affect developmental progression. In contrast, D2 knockdown resulted in a clear developmental delay in all parameters scored, suggesting that D2 is the major contributor to TH activation in developing zebrafish embryos. Importantly, combined knockdown of D1 and D2 caused not only a more pronounced developmental delay than D2 knockdown alone but also the appearance of dysmorphologies in a substantial minority of treated embryos. This shows that although D1 may not be essential in euthyroid conditions, it may be crucial under depleted thyroid status as is the case when T(3) production by D2 is inhibited. These results indicate that zebrafish embryos are dependent on T(4) uptake and its subsequent activation to T(3), and suggest that substantial inhibition of embryonic T(4) to T(3) conversion reduces intracellular T(3) availability below the threshold level necessary for normal development.