Initiation and early growth of the skull vault in zebrafish

Publication date: Available online 20 October 2019Source: Mechanisms of DevelopmentAuthor(s): Michelle Kanther, Alexandra Scalici, Azman Rashid, Kelly Miao, Ella Van Deventer, Shannon FisherAbstractThe zebrafish offers powerful advantages as a model system for examining the growth of the skull vault and the formation of cranial sutures. The zebrafish is well suited for large–scale genetic screens, available in large numbers, and continual advances in genetic engineering facilitate precise modeling of human genetic disorders. Most importantly, zebrafish are continuously accessible for imaging during critical periods of skull formation when both mouse and chick are physically inaccessible. To establish a foundation of information on the dynamics of skull formation, we performed a longitudinal study based on confocal microscopy of individual live transgenic zebrafish. Discrete events occur at stereotyped stages in overall growth, with little variation in timing among individuals. The frontal and parietal bones initiate as small clusters of cells closely associated with cartilage around the perimeter of the skull, prior to metamorphosis and the transition to juvenile fish. Over a period of ~30 days, the frontal and parietal bones grow towards the apex of the skull and meet to begin suture formation. To aid in visualization, we have generated interactive three–dimensional models based on the imaging data, with annotated cartilage and bone elements. We propose a framework to ...

Source: Mechanisms of Development - October 22, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research