Dissected morphology of Wnt9b morphants reveals significant skull and palatoquadrate (PQ) foreshortening along the anterior-posterior (A-P) axis. Alcian blue whole-skulls (a)-(d) or dissected PQs (f)-(i) were flat mounted and digitally measured. Normal (A), (F) MM control and mild (b), (g), moderate (c)-(h) and severe (d), (i) skeletal elements from SB-MO injected embryos. (a)-(d) Red line aligns these skulls along the common interhyal joint, with digital measurements performed perpendicular to this line to the anterior-most tip of the Meckel’s cartilage (red arrows). Note that the anterior tip of the notochords are also aligned. (e) Bar chart showing mean skull lengths per category. All morphant skulls grouped together were significantly shorter than controls. (f) (i) Red line represents the digital measurement of the PQ along the A-P axis. Size bars in (f)-(i) are 40 µm. (j) Bar chart showing mean PQ lengths per category, and morphant PQs are significantly shorter than controls. Note that uninjected control and MM control PQs are not significantly different. +p = 0.071, ***p < 0.001. 1-way ANOVA analysis, Tukey’s HSD test of means. Ptp = pterygoid process.
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