ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Molecular and Cellular Pathology
This article is part of the Research TopicExploring Therapeutic Strategies Through Animal Models of Cellular and Molecular DysfunctionView all 4 articles
A novel cyp26c1-driven reporter line to study boundaries of retinoic acid signalling during zebrafish development
Provisionally accepted
Rosana Reyes-Pinto1
David Arancibia-Altamirano1
María J. Vásquez-Ramírez1José Matías Benítez1
Aarón Villanueva1
Manuela Lahne2
Ryan B MacDonald2
Koichi Kawakami3,4
Leonardo E. Valdivia1,5*- 1Centro de Biología Integrativa, Facultad de Ciencias, Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
- 2Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- 3Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
- 4Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura Hospital, Toyohashi, Japan
- 5Escuela de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
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Retinoic acid (RA) signalling is essential for vertebrate development, but the spatiotemporal dynamics of its regulation remain largely uncharacterized in specific cellular contexts. Here, we introduce a novel gene trap transgenic reporter line for the zebrafish cyp26c1 gene, a key regulator of RA metabolism. Through a screen of a gal4-based gene and enhancer trap collection, we isolated the tg(gSAIGFF104A) line. In this line, a gal4 gene trap cassette is inserted into the third intron of the cyp26c1 gene, allowing it to faithfully drive reporter expression in a pattern that mirrors the endogenous cyp26c1 expression in zebrafish embryos. Using this reporter, we characterized the expression of cyp26c1 with cellular resolution, revealing a highly dynamic and localized expression in the developing telencephalon, diencephalon, hindbrain, otic vesicles, pharyngeal arches, and other ectodermal derivatives, as well as in subdomains of the retina. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this line responds to both exogenous and genetic manipulations of RA signalling, particularly within the retina. Our reporter provides a valuable resource for investigating the intricate biology of RA signalling in zebrafish development and disease, offering a tool for tracing and manipulating cyp26c1-expressing cells.
Keywords: CYP26C1, Gal4/UAS, Retina, Retinoic acid, transgenic, Zebrafish
Received: 24 Nov 2025; Accepted: 09 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Reyes-Pinto, Arancibia-Altamirano, Vásquez-Ramírez, Benítez, Villanueva, Lahne, MacDonald, Kawakami and Valdivia. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Leonardo E. Valdivia
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