Measuring Inflammatory Cell Migration in the Zebrafish

A key feature of inflammatory cells is the ability to migrate to a site of injury or infection quickly and efficiently. Infectious agents can then be taken up by these inflammatory cells, preventing established infection. Inflammatory cell migration is driven by a complex interaction between inflammatory cells and their environment. In order to maintain health, inflammation needs to resolve, allowing the surrounding tissues to recover and heal. These processes are not fully understood and have been difficult to study in cell culture due to the complex interactions between cell types. We therefore use a range of techniques in near-transparent zebrafish (Danio rerio ) larvae to study these migration events in a whole-organism, in vivo model. Using a transgenic zebrafish line that specifically marks neutrophils with green fluorescent protein, Tg(mpx:GFP)i114 , we are able to follow neutrophil behaviour at a single cell level. Using these methods, the cellular processes involved in all phases of inflammation can be studied and better understood.