Alpha2 Macroglobulin-Like Is Essential for Liver Development in Zebrafish

BackgroundAlpha 2 Macroglobulin family members have been studied extensively with respect to their roles in physiology and human disease including innate immunity and Alzheimer's disease, but little is known about a possible role in liver development loss-of-function in model systems.
Principal FindingsWe report the isolation of the zebrafish α2 macroglobulin-like (A2ML) gene and its specific expression in the liver during differentiation. Morpholino-based knock-down of A2ML did not block the initial formation of the liver primordium, but inhibited liver growth and differentiation.
SignificanceThis report on A2ML function in zebrafish development provides the first evidence for a specific role of an A2M family gene in liver formation during early embryogenesis in a vertebrate.