Fig. 4

vgll2a knockdown causes a reduction in the size of NCC domains. Later views of representative uninjected (A,D) and vgll2a morphant (B,E) embryos processed by ISH with probes for dlx2a at 24 hpf (A,B) and barx1 at 48 hpf (D,E). Dotted lines outlined in panels A,B,D and E represent the domain areas quantified (C,F). The domains of NCC marker dlx2a (A,B) in the first three arches (numbered 1–3) are smaller in vgll2a morphants (B) relative to uninjected controls (A) at 24 hpf. barx1 is expressed in cranial NCC condensations at 48 hpf (D,E) and expression domains including the neurocranium and arch 1 (1/n), dorsal and ventral domains within arch 2 (2d and 2v) and a domain representing arches 6 and 7 (6/7) are similarly reduced in vgll2a morphants (E) relative to controls (D). barx1 expression in the anterior ceratobranchials (bracket, D,E) was not detected in vgll2a morphant embryos (E). Graphs of the average area in these embryos reflect these differences (C, F). Error bars represent standard error of the mean. All domains measured were significantly smaller in vgll2a morphants except 2v (Student′s T Test,*: p < 0.05, **: p < 0.01, ***: p < 0.001). Scare bars = 100 µm. Numbers at the base of each bar represent the number of embryos counted for each condition.