Figure 3

Phenotype and gene expression during fin development in bmp2b-overexpressing fins (bmp2b+++) and controls (Wt). (A) ISH for and1 highlights the shorter finfolds (FF) of bmp2b+++ fins in comparison with controls, similar to hoxd13+++ fins. (B) Finfold and endoskeleton measurements, after and1 ISH, revel significant reduction of the finfold in bmp2b+++ fins (n = 50; *p < 0.05). (C,D) Imunnostaining with anti-casp3 antibody (C) and subsequent counting of the casp3-positive cells in the finfold (n = 9; *p < 0.05) (D) suggests higher apoptotic activity in bmp2b+++ finfolds than in Wt controls at stage 110 hpf. (E) RT-qPCR analyses to evaluate gene expression in bmp2b+++ fins and Wt controls at 90 hpf indicate upregulation of casp3 (***p < 0.001), downregulation of finfold markers and1 and fgf8a (***p < 0.01) and non-significant alteration of ccnb1, involved in cell proliferation. Statistical significance evaluated by unpaired t-test.