Figure 5

Late larval nkx3.2 ^-/- zebrafish displays deformed and missing ligaments in the Weberian apparatus. (A, D) Lateral renderings of the occipital bones, Weberian apparatus, and anterior rib-bearing vertebrae (colored as bone) with associated cartilage (blue), ligaments (shades of purple), and swim bladder (yellow) of 1mpf wild-type and nkx3.2 ^-/- zebrafish. Red asterisks in (D) indicate the absence of the anterior interossicular and suspensor ligaments. (B, E) False-coloured sagittal virtual thin sections through the interossicular ligament in wild-type and nkx3.2 ^-/- zebrafish. Red asterisk in (E) indicates the absence of a ligamentous connection between the intercalarium and scaphium, as what may be anterior part of the interossicular ligament appears to be connected to lateral process instead. (C, F) False-coloured virtual thin sections through the suspensor ligament in wild-type and nkx3.2 ^-/- zebrafish. The red asterisk in (F) indicates the absence of the suspensor ligament between the tripus and parapophysis 4. boc, basioccipital; cl, claustrum; eoc, exoccipital; ic, intercalarium; IOSa, anterior interossicular ligament; IOSp, posterior interossicular ligament; lp2, lateral process 2; n, neural complex cartilage; oss, os suspensorium; pop4, parapophysis 4; r4, rib 4; sb, swim bladder; sc, scaphium; SUS, suspensor ligament; t, tripus; V5, vertebrae 5. Scale bars, 100µm.