| Summary: | Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated by many exogenous and endogenous sources. They are highly reactive and can attack biomolecules such as proteins, lipids and DNA, causing damage to living cells. DNA is subjected to constant attack by many damage inducing agents including ROS, but constant repair and maintenance by multiple DNA repair pathways helps to maintain genomic stability. The cell is also protected from the effects of ROS by antioxidants. However, ROS are
implicated in cell signaling as important primary and secondary messengers. Many critical transcription factors involved in embryonic development are sensitive to the redox condition in the cell and so reductive stress can be just as dangerous as oxidative stress. Indeed, this laboratory has shown that the position and type of oxidative damage can affect binding of at least one specific transcription factor to its consensus sequence. Based on this evidence, it is possible that ROS might
have a role in embryonic development of zebrafish embryos. In the following thesis, we have attempted to answer some basic questions pertaining to the role of ROS in zebrafish embryogenesis.
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