PUBLICATION

Cellular mechanisms of posterior neural tube morphogenesis in the zebrafish

Authors
Harrington, M.J., Chalasani, K., and Brewster, R.
ID
ZDB-PUB-100119-14
Date
2010
Source
Developmental Dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists   239(3): 747-762 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Brewster, Rachel, Chalasani, Kavita, Harrington, Michael
Keywords
neurulation, zebrafish, tailbud, neural convergence, cell intercalation, cell migration, delamination, axis elongation, cell division, Sox3, apicobasal polarity
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Cell Division
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Mitosis
  • Morphogenesis
  • Nervous System/embryology
  • Neural Crest/embryology*
  • Neurulation/physiology*
  • SOXB1 Transcription Factors/metabolism
  • Time Factors
  • Zebrafish
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
PubMed
20077475 Full text @ Dev. Dyn.
Abstract
The zebrafish is a well established model system for studying neural development, yet neurulation remains poorly understood in this organism. In particular, the morphogenetic movements that shape the posterior neural tube (PNT) have not been described. Using tools for imaging neural tissue and tracking the behavior of cells in real time, we provide the first comprehensive analysis of the cellular events shaping the PNT. We observe that this tissue is formed in a stepwise manner, beginning with merging of presumptive neural domains in the tailbud (Stage 1); followed by neural convergence and infolding to shape the neural rod (Stage 2); and continued elongation of the PNT, in absence of further convergence (Stage 3). We further demonstrate that cell proliferation plays only a minimal role in PNT elongation. Overall, these mechanisms resemble those previously described in anterior regions, suggesting that, in contrast to amniotes, neurulation is a fairly uniform process in zebrafish.
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