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Dissection and Lateral Mounting of Zebrafish Embryos: Analysis of Spinal Cord Development
Published on: February 28, 2014
Expression pattern for unc5b, an axon guidance gene in embryonic zebrafish development
Sukhbir Kaur1, Mones S Abu-Asab, Mones S Abu-Abab
1Genome Technology Branch, NHGRI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Gene Expression
|August 22, 2007
Summary
Researchers cloned zebrafish unc5b and compared its expression to robo4. Both genes are crucial for embryonic brain development, with distinct patterns in the hindbrain suggesting roles in neural patterning.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
Background:
- Branching morphogenesis in nerves and vessels involves shared molecular mechanisms for path determination.
- The unc5 family of genes plays a role in axon guidance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clone and characterize the zebrafish unc5b ortholog.
- To compare the expression patterns of unc5b and robo4 in embryonic zebrafish.
- To investigate the role of axon guidance genes in hindbrain patterning.
Main Methods:
- Cloning of the full-length zebrafish unc5b ortholog.
- Zebrafish genome mapping of unc5b.
- Whole-mount in situ hybridization to analyze gene expression patterns.
Main Results:
- unc5b was cloned and mapped to the zebrafish genome.
- unc5b is predominantly expressed in sensory structures like the eye, ear, and brain.
- Both unc5b and robo4 show robust expression in the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain.
- Distinct medial-lateral expression patterns of unc5b and robo4 were observed in hindbrain rhombomeres and the neural tube.
Conclusions:
- The expression analysis of unc5b and robo4 provides a foundation for understanding their roles in embryonic development.
- Distinct expression patterns suggest specific functions in neural patterning, particularly in the hindbrain.
