Fig. 4

Fig. 4

MO knockdown of rnf170 results in morphological abnormalities, impaired neurogenesis, and motoneuron defects. a Representative images showing the morphology of live zebrafish embryos at 48 hpf injected with two different splice-blocking rnf170 antisense MOs. rnf170 morphants are characterized by a shortened body axis, micropthalmia (arrows), microcephaly (brackets), and alterations in pigmentation (arrowheads). Scale bar represents 500 µm. b Staining for the axonal marker acetylated tubulin at 48 hpf indicates impaired neurogenesis as shown by reduced neuronal density and migration (brackets) in the developing hindbrain of rnf170 morphants, compared with control embryos. Asterisks indicate the position of the eye, scale bar represents 50 µm. c Dorsal flatmount images of acetyated tubulin stained embryos at 48 hpf showing loss of migrating axons across the intertectal commissure (arrow and asterisks), reduction of arborization in the tectum (Te), and thickening of the tracts of the habenular commissure (THC) and tracts of the posterior commissure (TPC) (arrowheads). Scale bar 200 µm. The eye, trigeminal glia (Tg) and hindbrain glia (Hg) are given as further landmarks. d Aberrant eye and brain development was observed in wax sections of rnf170 morphants at 4 dpf stained with H&E. Reduction of cranial width (brackets) and ventricular cavities was apparent (arrowheads). Scale bar represents 100 µm