Dorsal forerunner cells transmit epiboly forces to extend the zebrafish notochord.

ABSTRACT: Convergence and extension (C&E) cell movements promote anteroposterior axis extension and narrow both neuroectodermal and mesodermal tissues during gastrulation. Mediolateral cell intercalation is largely responsible for this morphogenetic process in vertebrates, but evidence suggests that additional cell-extrinsic forces generated by surrounding tissues contribute to the shaping of many structures. In zebrafish, for example, mechanical forces generated by the anteriorly migrating prechordal plate cooperate with tissue-autonomous cell intercalations to promote extension of the notochord. Here we propose a novel model for notochord morphogenesis by which mechanical epiboly forces within the enveloping layer are transmitted to the posterior end of the notochord via a cluster of dorsal foreru

SUBMITTER: Small C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12633267 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature