PUBLICATION

The identification of genes with unique and essential functions in the development of the zebrafish, Danio rerio

Authors
Haffter, P., Granato, M., Brand, M., Mullins, M.C., Hammerschmidt, M., Kane, D.A., Odenthal, J., van Eeden, F.J., Jiang, Y.J., Heisenberg, C.P., Kelsh, R.N., Furutani-Seiki, M., Vogelsang, E., Beuchle, D., Schach, U., Fabian, C., and Nüsslein-Volhard, C.
ID
ZDB-PUB-970210-2
Date
1996
Source
Development (Cambridge, England)   123: 1-36 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Brand, Michael, Fabian, Cosima, Furutani-Seiki, Makoto, Granato, Michael, Haffter, Pascal, Hammerschmidt, Matthias, Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp, Jiang, Yun-Jin, Kane, Donald A., Kelsh, Robert, Mullins, Mary C., Nüsslein-Volhard, Christiane, Odenthal, Joerg, van Eeden, Freek
Keywords
zebrafish, ENU mutagensis, Tuebingen mutants, vertebrate development
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Crosses, Genetic
  • Embryonic Development
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Genes*
  • Genetic Complementation Test
  • Male
  • Mutagenesis
  • Phenotype
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
  • Zebrafish/growth & development
PubMed
9007226 Full text @ Development
Abstract
In a large-scale screen, we isolated mutants displaying a specific visible phenotype in embryos or early larvae of the zebrafish, Danio rerio. Males were mutagenized with ethylnitrosourea (ENU) and F2 families of single pair matings between sibling F1 fish, heterozygous for a mutagenized genome, were raised. Egg lays were obtained from several crosses between F2 siblings, resulting in scoring of 3857 mutagenized genomes. F3 progeny were scored at the second, third and sixth day of development, using a stereomicroscope. In a subsequent screen, fixed embryos were analyzed for correct retinotectal projection. A total of 4264 mutants were identified. Two thirds of the mutants displaying rather general abnormalities were eventually discarded. We kept and characterized 1163 mutants. In complementation crosses performed between mutants with similar phenotypes, 894 mutants have been assigned to 372 genes. The average allele frequency is 2.4. We identified genes involved in early development, notochord, brain, spinal cord, somites, muscles, heart, circulation, blood, skin, fin, eye, otic vesicle, jaw and branchial arches, pigment pattern, pigment formation, gut, liver, motility and touch response. Our collection contains alleles of almost all previously described zebrafish mutants. From the allele frequencies and other considerations we estimate that the 372 genes defined by the mutants probably represent more than half of all genes that could have been discovered using the criteria of our screen. Here we give an overview of the spectrum of mutant phenotypes obtained, and discuss the limits and the potentials of a genetic saturation screen in the zebrafish.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping