Figure 7

Inhibition of Tnap-activity leads to alterations in axon and mineralization. (A) Incubation of zebrafish embryos in different concentrations of levamisole altered normal development at 24 and 48 hpf depending on its concentration and resulted in cardiovascular defects (red arrow indicates enlarged pericardial sac). (B) Investigation of axonal growth by acetylated tubulin staining detected reduced growth within the optic tectum at 48 hpf. Scale bars: 25 µm. Red arrows point to differences in neural development under levamisole treatment. (C) Blocking of Tnap-activity resulted in hampered mineralization and influenced craniofacial development at 120 hpf. Alcian-blue stains the cartilage and Alizarin-red the mineralized structures. Fluorescence signals of Alizarin-red are additionally depicted in the upper right corner. Scale bars: 100 µm. Black arrows display the morphological changes of the cartilage and red arrows the missing mineralized structures. Cb, ceratobranchial cartilage; Ch, ceratohylal cartilage; Ep, ethmoid plate; Hs, hysosympletic; Ih, interhylal; M, Meckel’s cartilage; No, notochord; Ov, otic vesicle; Pc, parachordal cartilage; Pq, palatoquadrate cartilage; Tr, trabecular cartilage.