PUBLICATION

Genetic analysis of dorsoventral pattern formation in the zebrafish: requirement of a BMP-like ventralizing activity and its dorsal repressor

Authors
Hammerschmidt, M., Serbedzija, G.N., and McMahon, A.P.
ID
ZDB-PUB-961219-9
Date
1996
Source
Genes & Development   10(19): 2452-2461 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Hammerschmidt, Matthias, McMahon, Andrew, Serbedzija, George N.
Keywords
dorsoventral pattern formation; dino; swirl; BMP4; noggin; Spemann's organizer; zebrafish; Danio rerio
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Body Patterning*
  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/analysis
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/genetics
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/physiology*
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cell Transplantation
  • Chimera
  • Ectoderm
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/chemistry
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/cytology
  • Embryonic Development
  • Epistasis, Genetic
  • Gastrula
  • Gene Expression
  • Mesoderm
  • Mutation/physiology*
  • Phenotype
  • Proteins/physiology
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, Cell Surface/physiology
  • Receptors, Growth Factor*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
PubMed
8843197 Full text @ Genes & Dev.
Abstract
According to a model based on embryological studies in amphibia, dorsoventral patterning is regulated by the antagonizing function of ventralizing bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and dorsalizing signals generated by Spemann's organizer. Large-scale mutant screens in the zebrafish, Danio rerio, have led to the isolation of two classes of recessive lethal mutations affecting early dorsoventral pattern formation. dino mutant embryos are ventralized, whereas swirl mutants are dorsalized. We show that at early gastrula stages, dino and swirl mutants display an expanded or reduced Bmp4 expression, respectively. The dino and swirl mutant phenotypes both can be phenocopied and rescued by the modulation of BMP signaling in wild-type and mutant embryos. By suppressing BMP signaling in dino mutants, adult fertile dino -/- fish were generated. These findings, together with results from the analysis of dino-swirl double mutants, indicate that dino fulfills its dorsalizing activity via a suppression of swirl- dependent, BMP-like ventralizing activities. Finally, cell transplantation experiments show that dino is required on the dorsal side of early gastrula embryos and acts in a non-cell- autonomous fashion. Together, these results provide genetic evidence in support of a mechanism of early dorsoventral patterning that is conserved among vertebrate and invertebrate embryos.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping