A framework for understanding morphogenesis and migration of the zebrafish posterior Lateral Line primordium

Publication date: December 2017 Source:Mechanisms of Development, Volume 148 Author(s): Damian Dalle Nogare, Ajay B. Chitnis A description of zebrafish posterior Lateral Line (pLL) primordium development at single cell resolution together with the dynamics of Wnt, FGF, Notch and chemokine signaling in this system has allowed us to develop a framework to understand the self-organization of cell fate, morphogenesis and migration during its early development. The pLL primordium migrates under the skin, from near the ear to the tip of the tail, periodically depositing neuromasts. Nascent neuromasts, or protoneuromasts, form sequentially within the migrating primordium, mature, and are deposited from its trailing end. Initially broad Wnt signaling inhibits protoneuromast formation. However, protoneuromasts form sequentially in response to FGF signaling, starting from the trailing end, in the wake of a progressively shrinking Wnt system. While proliferation adds to the number of cells, the migrating primordium progressively shrinks as its trailing cells stop moving and are deposited. As it shrinks, the length of the migrating primordium correlates with the length of the leading Wnt system. Based on these observations we show how measuring the rate at which the Wnt system shrinks, the proliferation rate, the initial size of the primordium, its speed, and a few additional parameters allows us to predict the pattern of neuromast formation and deposition by the migrating primordium...

Source: Mechanisms of Development - December 16, 2017 Category: Biology Source Type: research