Permeability properties and occludin expression in a primary cultured model gill epithelium from the stenohaline freshwater goldfish

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Techniques for the primary culture of fish gill epithelia on permeable supports have provided 'reconstructed' gill models appropriate for the study of gill permeability characteristics in vitro. Models developed thus far have been derived from euryhaline fish species that can tolerate a wide range of environmental salinity. This study reports on procedures for the primary culture of a model gill epithelium derived from goldfish, a stenohaline freshwater (FW) fish that cannot tolerate high environmental salt concentrations. The reconstructed goldfish gill epithelium was cultured on permeable filter inserts and using electron microscopy and immunocytochemical techniques, was determined to be composed exclusively of gill pavement cells. When cultured under symmetrical conditions (i.e. with culture medium bathing both apical and basolateral surfaces), epithelial preparations generated appreciable transepithelial resistance (TER) (e.g. 1,150 ± 46 Ωcm(2)) within 36-42 h post-seeding in inserts. When apical medium was replaced with FW (asymmetrical conditions to mimic conditions that occur in vivo), epithelia exhibited increased TER and elevated paracellular permeability. Changes in permeability occurred in association with altered occludin-immunoreactive band position by western blot and no change in occludin mRNA abundance. We contend that the goldfish gill model will provide a useful in vitro tool for examining the molecular components of a stenohaline fish gill epithelium that participate in the regulation of gill permeability. The model will allow molecular observations to be made together with assessment of changing physiological properties that relate to permeability. Together, this will allow further insight into mechanisms that regulate gill permeability in fishes.