A Novel Zebrafish Luminescent Biosensor for Kidney Tubulopathy, Metal Toxicity, and Drug Screening

An efficient endo-lysosomal pathway is crucial to mediate the reabsorption and processing of ultrafiltered solutes including low-molecular-weight (LMW) proteins by the epithelial cells lining the proximal tubule (PT) of the kidney. The zebrafish pronephros is increasingly used as a model system for congenital or acquired disorders that impair the endocytic uptake in PT cells, that cause an inappropriate loss of solutes and LMW proteins in the urine. Here, we describe a new reporter zebrafish line, termed[1/2] vdbp-NanoLuc, in which the vitamin D-binding protein is coupled to NanoLuc luciferase, for rapid, large-scale detection of PT dysfunction and LMW proteinuria. We demonstrate the reliability and value of the[1/2] vdbp-NanoLuc biosensor in fish models of monogenic endolysosomal diseases, gentamicin and cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, and metal contamination. This novel system provides mechanistic insights into the cadmium- and copper-induced PT dysfunction and, when combined with a swimming test, a platform for drug screening to alleviate cisplatin toxicity.