Download Defining the role of Histidyl tRNA Synthetase in the Zebrafish... Aminoacyl tRNA synthetases are critical enzymes responsible for attaching specific

Defining the role of Histidyl tRNA Synthetase in the Zebrafish Eye and Ear
Aminoacyl tRNA synthetases are critical enzymes responsible for attaching specific
amino acids to their appropriate tRNA molecules during protein synthesis. In
humans, a point mutation in the gene for Histidine tRNA Synthetase (HARS) has
been associated with Usher Syndrome Type 3b, a disease characterized by hearing
and vision loss by early adulthood. This association suggests an important role for
HARS in eye and ear development and maintenance. The use of antisense
morpholinos to knockdown HARS expression in zebrafish results in a lack of retinal
organization and loss of neuromasts – exterior sensory organs in the zebrafish that
are comparable to the sensory patches in ears. These results support the hypothesis
that HARS plays a particularly important role in the vertebrate eye and ear. We aim
to define the role of HARS in these sensory systems using the zebrafish as a model.