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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2025

Generation of Dispersed Presomitic Mesoderm Cell Cultures for Imaging of the Zebrafish Segmentation Clock in Single Cells

Generation of Dispersed Presomitic Mesoderm Cell Cultures for Imaging of the Zebrafish Segmentation Clock in Single Cells

Published on: July 24, 2014

Modularity of the segmentation clock and morphogenesis.

James E Hammond¹, Ruth E Baker², Berta Verd¹

¹Biology Department, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

|April 1, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The segmentation clock and pre-somitic mesoderm (PSM) morphogenesis are developmentally modular, explaining vertebrate trunk segment number evolution. This modularity allows independent evolution of these key developmental processes.

Keywords:

agent-based models evolution evolvability morphogenesis physics of living systems pre-somitic mesoderm somitogenesis zebrafish

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Generation of Dispersed Presomitic Mesoderm Cell Cultures for Imaging of the Zebrafish Segmentation Clock in Single Cells

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Area of Science:

Developmental biology
Evolutionary biology
Computational biology

Background:

Vertebrate trunk segment number exhibits significant diversity, but its evolvability is poorly understood.
Segment number is determined by pre-somitic mesoderm (PSM) morphogenesis and the segmentation clock, a molecular oscillator within the PSM.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether the segmentation clock and PSM morphogenesis are developmentally modular.
To understand how this potential modularity contributes to the evolution of vertebrate segment number.

Main Methods:

Utilized a computational model of the segmentation clock and PSM.
Parameterised the model for zebrafish.
Simulated variations in morphogenetic processes like cell ingression, motility, compaction, and division.

Main Results:

The segmentation clock demonstrated robustness to variations in PSM morphogenetic processes.
PSM length and segmentation clock phase coupling strength influenced clock robustness.
Previous studies showed no significant changes in morphogenesis when perturbing the clock.

Conclusions:

The segmentation clock and PSM morphogenesis exhibit developmental modularity.
This modularity supports the hypothesis that independent evolution of these processes underlies the evolvability of vertebrate segment number.