PUBLICATION

Zebrafish limb development is triggered by a retinoic acid signal during gastrulation

Authors
Grandel, H., and Brand, M.
ID
ZDB-PUB-101101-12
Date
2011
Source
Developmental Dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists   240(5): 1116-1126 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Brand, Michael, Grandel, Heiner
Keywords
aldh1a2, limb, fin, retinoic acid, pectoral fin determination, limb specification
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/embryology
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism
  • Gastrulation/genetics
  • Gastrulation/physiology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/physiology
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Limb Buds/embryology
  • Limb Buds/metabolism
  • Signal Transduction/genetics
  • Signal Transduction/physiology
  • Tretinoin/metabolism*
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/metabolism*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
PubMed
21509893 Full text @ Dev. Dyn.
Abstract
Studies in mouse and zebrafish show that vertebrate forelimb development is initiated by retinoic acid (RA). An RA signal leads to transcription of tbx5 in forelimb precursors which is necessary and sufficient for limb development. However, the timing of the RA signaling event has remained controversial as have source tissue and tissue interactions. We have thus determined the contribution of RA to zebrafish pectoral fin development at different developmental stages. Specifically, an early gastrula stage RA signal triggers the process that leads to determination of tbx5-expressing limb precursors, while a later somitogenesis stage RA signal maintains these precursors. Preceding the lack of tbx5-expressing limb precursors in RA deficient zebrafish embryos, aldh1a2 and cyp26a1 expression domains are distorted along the gastrula margin suggesting that positional values in the ventrolateral mesodermal anlagen are affected. We propose that limb precursor determination requires RA dependent specification of lateral plate territories during gastrulation.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Show all Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping