146 - Localization of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) Protein in Zebrafish

Zebrafish possess a unique ability to regenerate their retina when damaged; our objective is to gain a better understanding regarding retinal regeneration in zebrafish in hopes of eventually utilizing this information to promote retinal regeneration in humans. It has been shown that a protein, Sonic Hedgehog signaling protein (shh), plays a role in the differentiation of progenitor cells during eye development in zebrafish. Researchers have concluded that shh moves across the retina in a wave-like fashion during vertebrate development and regeneration. Studies have been conducted to see how the shh protein moves, but none have investigated the exact location that shh binds. We want to localize the shh protein in zebrafish during regeneration. Techniques such as immunohistochemistry, antigen retrieval and colocalization were used. Anti-Glutamine synthetase and anti-Glial fibrillary acidic protein were the antibodies used during these techniques to assess whether or not the shh is associated with müler glia cells in the retina. Our confocal microscope pictures depict promising localization information to see which specific cells Shh is associated with.