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Fig. 5
Development of xanthophore distribution and organization during stripe pattern formation. Time-lapse images of DsRed-positive xanthophores labeled with Tg(fms:Gal4.VP16); Tg(UAS:Cre); Tg(βactin2:loxP-STOP-loxP-DsRed-express) in wild type and mutants during metamorphosis. (A1-5) Wild-type xanthophores reorganize upon the arrival of metamorphic iridophores and melanophores form a uniform density into two different forms: stellate and less dense (red arrowhead) in the dark-stripe areas (between the red dotted lines), and compact and dense in the light-stripe areas (red arrowheads). (B1-5) Xanthophores in shady mutants stay at a uniform density (green arrow) in the dark-stripe areas (between the red dotted lines). (C1-5) In homozygous leotK3 mutants xanthophores stay at a uniform density (green arrowhead) all over the body of the fish even after the arrival of iridophores and melanophores, dark-stripe areas are shown between red dotted lines. Scale bars: 100 µm. (D) Graph showing the differences in cell densities during development of wild type, leotK3 and shady mutants. The distances (in µm) between the centers of neighboring xanthophores in the prospective light-stripe regions at various developmental time points are depicted (n=25 cell pairs from 5 fish per genotype). Error bars indicate standard deviations. Asterisks indicate the statistical significance compared to wild type using Student's t-test (all P values are P<0.0001).