Targeted cell ablation in zebrafish using optogenetic transcriptional control

Abstract

Cell ablation is a powerful method for elucidating the contributions of individual cell populations to embryonic development and tissue regeneration. Targeted cell loss in whole organisms has been typically achieved through expression of a cytotoxic or prodrug-activating gene product in the cell type of interest. This approach depends on the availability of tissue-specific promoters, and it does not allow further spatial selectivity within the promoter-defined region(s). To address this limitation, we have developed ablative methods that combine genetically encoded toxins, the tissue specificity afforded by cis-regulatory elements, and the conditionality of optogenetics. Using this integrative approach, we have ablated cells in zebrafish embryos with spatial and temporal precision.