Fig. 6

Fig. 6 Periodic imaging of individual col8a1a mutants illustrates the progression of notochord bends towards malformed vertebral units. (A) Timeline of vertebral column development in zebrafish highlighting the timing of this particular periodic imaging method. Confocal projections of an transgenic individuals WT (B-B′′) or col8a1a/lev^vu41-/- mutant (C–C′′), and vitally stained with alizarin red (Tg[1.75KB col2a1 GFP-CAAX]; green (B and C′) and Alizarin Red; magenta (B–C′′) periodically imaged over the range of vertebral column development. (B, C) mature notochord (10dpf; ~SL 3.5–4) (B′ and C′) segmentation of axial centra (20dpf; ~SL 5–6) (B′′, C′′) mature vertebral column (39dpf; ~SL 8–9). (C) lev mutant individual at 10dpf displaying subtle bends in the notochord which transition to larger bends (yellow dashed lines (B′)). (C′) At 20dpf, these bends can display dysmorphic centra morphology (yellow bracket) or close apposition of centra edges in regions of severe bending (yellow arrows). (C′′) At 39 dpf, the formation of VM and scoliosis is predicted from the previous disrupted notochord regions (yellow dashed line). Scale bar is 200 mM.