PUBLICATION

Multiple morphogens and rapid elongation promote segmental patterning during development

Authors
Qiu, Y., Fung, L., Schilling, T.F., Nie, Q.
ID
ZDB-PUB-210624-8
Date
2021
Source
PLoS Computational Biology   17: e1009077 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Schilling, Tom
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Body Patterning/genetics
  • Body Patterning/physiology*
  • Computational Biology
  • Embryonic Development/genetics
  • Embryonic Development/physiology
  • Fibroblast Growth Factors/physiology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Growth Substances/physiology
  • Models, Biological*
  • Rhombencephalon/cytology
  • Rhombencephalon/embryology
  • Signal Transduction
  • Stochastic Processes
  • Tretinoin/physiology
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
PubMed
34161317 Full text @ PLoS Comput. Biol.
Abstract
The vertebrate hindbrain is segmented into rhombomeres (r) initially defined by distinct domains of gene expression. Previous studies have shown that noise-induced gene regulation and cell sorting are critical for the sharpening of rhombomere boundaries, which start out rough in the forming neural plate (NP) and sharpen over time. However, the mechanisms controlling simultaneous formation of multiple rhombomeres and accuracy in their sizes are unclear. We have developed a stochastic multiscale cell-based model that explicitly incorporates dynamic morphogenetic changes (i.e. convergent-extension of the NP), multiple morphogens, and gene regulatory networks to investigate the formation of rhombomeres and their corresponding boundaries in the zebrafish hindbrain. During pattern initiation, the short-range signal, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), works together with the longer-range morphogen, retinoic acid (RA), to specify all of these boundaries and maintain accurately sized segments with sharp boundaries. At later stages of patterning, we show a nonlinear change in the shape of rhombomeres with rapid left-right narrowing of the NP followed by slower dynamics. Rapid initial convergence improves boundary sharpness and segment size by regulating cell sorting and cell fate both independently and coordinately. Overall, multiple morphogens and tissue dynamics synergize to regulate the sizes and boundaries of multiple segments during development.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping