Dynamic transcriptomic profiles of zebrafish gills in response to zinc supplementation.

Dietary zinc is routinely supplemented to promote growth, boost the immune system, protect against diabetes or aid recovery from diarrhoea. We exploited the zebrafish (Danio rerio) gill as a unique vertebrate ion transporting epithelium model to study the time-dependent regulatory networks of gene-expression leading to homeostatic control during zinc supplementation. This organ forms a conduit for zinc uptake whilst exhibiting conservation of zinc trafficking components. Fish were maintained with zinc supplemented water (4.0 uM) and diet (2023 mg zinc kg-1) or in un-amended water and diet, containing Zn2+ at 0.25 µM and 233 mg zinc kg-1 respectively. Gill tissues were harvested at five time points (8 hours to 14 days) and transcriptome changes analysed in quintuplicate using a 16K microarray. Global transcript levels were measured in zebrafish gills using a oligonucleotide array either zinc-adequate or zinc-supplemented diet. Gill samples were collected at five time points and transcriptome changes analysed in quintuplicate using a 16K oligonucleotide array