Both apolipoprotein E and A-I genes are present in a nonmammalian vertebrate and are highly expressed during embryonic development
Babin PJ, Thisse C, Durliat M, Andre M, Akimenko MA, Thisse B.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 1997-08-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is associated with several classes of plasma lipoproteins and mediates uptake of lipoproteins through its ability to interact with specific cell surface receptors. Besides its role in cardiovascular diseases, accumulating evidence has suggested that apoE could play a role in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease. In vertebrates, apoA-I is the major protein of high-density lipoprotein. ApoA-I may play an important role in regulating the cholesterol content of peripheral tissues through the reverse cholesterol transport pathway. We have isolated cDNA clones that code for apoE and apoA-I from a zebrafish embryo library. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences showed the presence of a region enriched in basic amino acids in zebrafish apoE similar to the lipoprotein receptor-binding region of human apoE. We demonstrated by whole-mount in situ hybridization that apoE and apoA-I genes are highly expressed in the yolk syncytial layer, an extraembryonic structure implicated in embryonic and larval nutrition. ApoE transcripts were also observed in the deep cell layer during blastula stage, in numerous ectodermal derivatives after gastrulation, and after 3 days of development in a limited number of cells both in brain and in the eyes. Our data indicate that apoE can be found in a nonmammalian vertebrate and that the duplication events, from which apoE and apoA-I genes arose, occurred before the divergence of the tetrapod and teleost ancestors. Zebrafish can be used as a simple and useful model for studying the role of apolipoproteins in embryonic and larval nutrition and of apoE in brain morphogenesis and regeneration.
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APA 7th
Babin, P. J., Thisse, C., Durliat, M., Andre, M., Akimenko, M. A., & Thisse, B. (1997). Both apolipoprotein E and A-I genes are present in a nonmammalian vertebrate and are highly expressed during embryonic development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.94.16.8622
Vancouver
Babin PJ, Thisse C, Durliat M, Andre M, Akimenko MA, Thisse B. Both apolipoprotein E and A-I genes are present in a nonmammalian vertebrate and are highly expressed during embryonic development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 1997. doi:10.1073/pnas.94.16.8622. PMID: 9238027.
BibTeX
@article{babin1997-9238027,
author = {Babin, P. J. and Thisse, C. and Durliat, M. and Andre, M. and Akimenko, M. A. and Thisse, B.},
title = {{Both apolipoprotein E and A-I genes are present in a nonmammalian vertebrate and are highly expressed during embryonic development}},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.94.16.8622},
pmid = {9238027},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.94.16.8622}
}
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Key findings
- Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is associated with several classes of plasma lipoproteins and mediates uptake of lipoproteins through its ability to interact with specific cell surface receptors.
- Besides its role in cardiovascular diseases, accumulating evidence has suggested that apoE could play a role in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease.
- We demonstrated by whole-mount in situ hybridization that apoE and apoA-I genes are highly expressed in the yolk syncytial layer, an extraembryonic structure implicated in embryonic and larval nutrition.
- Our data indicate that apoE can be found in a nonmammalian vertebrate and that the duplication events, from which apoE and apoA-I genes arose, occurred before the divergence of the tetrapod and teleost ancestors.
Why it matters
This study found apoE and apoA-I genes in zebrafish, a non-mammalian vertebrate, and showed they are highly expressed during embryonic development. It is early animal research and does not test any treatment, prevention, or cure for Alzheimer's disease in people.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 44/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: journal h-index 1,167 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1997 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 184 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 5.9 citations a year over 31 year(s) since 1997 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 18 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Bernard Thisse: h-index 67 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: institution h-index 2,511 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9238027) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 44 / 100 | — |
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