dspg3l is expressed in developing cartilage: (A) dspg3l is exclusively expressed in the notochord at 24 hpf (lateral view); (B) dorsal view of the hindbrain region at 36 hpf showing that dspg3l is expressed in the cells ventral to the hindbrain and some cells adjacent to the otic vesicles (Ot) as indicated by arrows; (C) and (F) ventral views of cranial cartilage at 48 and 72 hpf, respectively, indicate dspg3l is expressed in developing cranial cartilage. dspg3l is strongly expressed in developing trabecula (tr) at 48 h but by 72 hpf its expression in trabecula is reduced. The pharyngeal cartilages express dspg3l at 72 h. (D) and (G) dorsal views showing dspg3l expressing cells near the otic vesicles at 48 and 72 hpf, respectively. The arrows denote the developing parachordal cartilages; (E) and (H) dspg3l expression by the central cartilage of the pectoral fin at 48 and 72 hpf, respectively; (I) at 96 hpf dspg3l is expressed by a group of cells (arrow heads) near at the eyes and some cells surrounding the otic vesicles. No dspg3l expression was detected elsewhere at 96 hpf.

 Zebrafish opticin protein encoded by optcl is homologous to opticins. Opticin proteins have a signal peptide at the N-terminus (red box) and six leucine-rich repeats (LRR, green boxes) in the C-terminal half. The four cysteines (arrowheads) clustered in the LRR N-terminal domain have conserved spacing.

 optcl is expressed in the CNS, lens and somites: (A) a ventral view showing that optcl is expressed in the somites (arrows) including the adaxial cells (arrowheads) in 12 hpf embryos; (B) a lateral view showing that at 16 hpf optcl expression is detected in the eye vesicles, MHB (arrow), and floor plate cells (arrowheads). optcl is also strongly expressed in somites at this stage; (C) lateral view of a 24 hpf embryo showing that optcl is expressed by the eye, MHB, and floor plate but optcl has decreased in the somites; (D) dorsal view of the head of a 25 hpf embryo showing that optcl is highly expressed in the lens (L) and the MHB (arrows). Cells surrounding the olfactory placode (OP) express optcl at a relatively low level; (E) dorsal view of hindbrain and anterior spinal cord at 25 hpf showing optcl expression in the floor plate of the hindbrain and spinal cord along with some expression in the somites; (F) a transverse section through the trunk of 24 hpf embryo showing that optcl is expressed in the floor plate of spinal cord (black arrow), hypercord (arrowhead), muscle pioneer cells (red arrowhead) and the superficial slow twitch muscles; (G) at 48 hpf optcl is expressed by the superficial cells of the lens (L) and (H) the floor plate of spinal cord (arrows, lateral view).

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