Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Live Cell Imaging with Time Lapse Photography to Study Epidermal Keratinocyte Proliferation Kinetics
Published on: June 6, 2025
A dominant-negative form of p63 is required for epidermal proliferation in zebrafish
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Box 357350, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Abstract:
Epidermal stem cells play a critical role in producing the multilayered vertebrate skin. Products of the p63 gene not only mark the epidermal stem cells, but also are absolutely required for the formation of mammalian epidermis. We find that early zebrafish embryos express a dominant-negative form of p63 (DeltaNp63), which accumulates in the nucleus just as epidermal growth begins. Using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides, we show that DeltaNp63 is needed for epidermal growth and limb development and is specifically required for the proliferation of epidermal cells by inhibiting p53 activity. While the structure of fish epidermis is very different from that of higher vertebrates, our study shows that DeltaNp63 has essential and ancient role in the development of skin.
Related Concept Videos
Incomplete Dominance
Negative Regulator Molecules
Requirements for Human Life
Oxygen
Atmospheric air is only about 20 percent oxygen, but that oxygen is a key component of the chemical reactions that keep the body alive, including the reactions that produce ATP. Brain cells are susceptible to a lack of oxygen because they require a...
Energy-requiring Steps of Glycolysis
Abnormal Proliferation
Proteins: Dietary Sources and Requirements

