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Cell movements during epiboly and gastrulation in zebrafish
1Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene 97403.
Development (Cambridge, England)
|April 1, 1990
Summary
Zebrafish embryos undergo dramatic shape changes through three key cell rearrangements: radial intercalation during epiboly, involution during gastrulation, and mediolateral intercalation for convergence and extension.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cellular Biology
- Embryogenesis
Background:
- Zebrafish embryos exhibit significant morphological changes starting at the late blastula stage.
- These changes are driven by complex cellular rearrangements within the blastoderm.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe and categorize the distinct cell rearrangement mechanisms during zebrafish embryogenesis.
- To compare these mechanisms with those observed in amphibian development.
Main Methods:
- Observation of cellular movements during zebrafish epiboly, gastrulation, and convergent extension.
- Analysis of cell mixing and tissue layer formation.
Main Results:
- Identified three primary cell rearrangement types: radial intercalation (epiboly), involution (gastrulation), and mediolateral intercalation (convergence/extension).
- Radial intercalation mixes deep blastoderm cells as the embryo spreads.
- Involution forms epiblast and hypoblast layers, with involuting cells forming endoderm and mesoderm.
- Mediolateral intercalation drives dorsalward convergence and extension, dispersing cells along the anterior-posterior axis.
Conclusions:
- Zebrafish embryogenesis utilizes conserved cellular rearrangement mechanisms similar to those in amphibians.
- These fundamental cell movements orchestrate major embryonic shape transformations.