Fig. 3

Akt2 mutants exhibit growth retardation. (A) The morphology of wild-type and maternal-zygotic homozygous (MZakt2^−/−) larvae from 24hpf to 72hpf. (B) At 5 dpf (days post-fertilization), heterozygous (Makt2^+/−) larvae were indistinguishable from their homozygous (MZakt2^−/−) siblings in morphology obtained from male akt2^ihb504/+ × female akt2^{ihb504/ihb504} (left panel). Genotyping was conducted using HMA (Heteroduplex mobility assay) (right panel). (C) At 16 dpf, homozygous MZakt2^−/− larvae were smaller than their heterozygous (Makt2^+/−) siblings in body size obtained from male akt2^ihb504/+ × female akt2^{ihb504/ihb504} (upper panel). Genotyping was conducted by HMA (lower panel). (D) At 51 dpf, homozygous MZakt2^−/− zebrafish (akt2^{ihb504/ihb504}) were much smaller than their wildtype (akt2^+/+) siblings. (E) At 46 dpf, the body length of homozygous (MZakt2^−/−) mutants (akt2^{ihb504/ihb504}) was significantly shorter than that of wildtype siblings (n = 20; p < 0.0001). (F) At 46 dpf, the body weight of homozygous (MZakt2^−/−) mutants (akt2^{ihb504/ihb504}) was significantly lighter than that of wildtype siblings (n = 20; p < 0.0001). (G) Pituitary development in homozygous (MZakt2^−/−) larvae (5 dpf) was indistinguishable from that of their wildtype siblings, as revealed by pomca staining. (H) Pituitary development in homozygous (MZakt2^−/−) larvae (5 dpf) was indistinguishable from that of their wildtype siblings, as revealed by gh1 staining. (I–J) At 10 dpf, the mRNA level of gh1, pomca, sst1.2, sst2 and sst3 in MZakt2^−/− mutants compared to wild-type siblings.