Real-time monitoring of an endogenous Fgf8a gradient attests to its role as a morphogen during zebrafish gastrulation.

ABSTRACT: Morphogen gradients impart positional information to cells in a homogenous tissue field. Fgf8a, a highly conserved growth factor, has been proposed to act as a morphogen during zebrafish gastrulation. However, technical limitations have so far prevented direct visualization of the endogenous Fgf8a gradient and confirmation of its morphogenic activity. Here, we monitor Fgf8a propagation in the developing neural plate using a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated EGFP knock-in at the endogenous fgf8a locus. By combining sensitive imaging with single-molecule fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, we demonstrate that Fgf8a, which is produced at the embryonic margin, propagates by diffusion through the extracellular space and forms a graded distribution towards the animal pole. Overlaying the Fgf8a gradient cu

SUBMITTER: Harish RK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10565248 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature