PUBLICATION

The evolution of morphological complexity in zebrafish stripes

Authors
Mellgren, E.M. and Johnson, S.L.
ID
ZDB-PUB-020227-3
Date
2002
Source
Trends in genetics : TIG   18(3): 128-134 (Review)
Registered Authors
Johnson, Stephen L., Mellgren, Eve M.
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Biological Evolution
  • Body Patterning/genetics*
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian
  • Gene Duplication
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Melanocytes/physiology*
  • Morphogenesis
  • Mutation
  • Oncogene Proteins
  • Phenotype
  • Phylogeny
  • Pigments, Biological/genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit
  • Transcription Factors/genetics
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/physiology*
PubMed
11858836 Full text @ Trends Genet.
Abstract
The zebrafish pigment stripe pattern is a complex tissue containing iridophores, xanthophores and multiple melanocyte types. Mutational analysis reveals that both ancient and recent gene duplications are involved in the generation or maintenance of the pattern complexity. Receptor tyrosine kinases kit and fms, products of an ancient gene duplication, are required in distinct types of melanocytes and xanthophores. Transcription factors mitfa and mitfb, results of a teleost-specific duplication, partition gene expression and function between different sets of melanocytes. Understanding the roles of these duplicated genes in zebrafish allows us to predict roles for their precursors in ancestral vertebrates.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping