Pattern regulation in the stripe of zebrafish suggests an underlying dynamic and autonomous mechanism.

ABSTRACT: The mechanism by which animal markings are formed is an intriguing problem that has remained unsolved for a long time. One of the most important questions is whether the positional information for the pattern formation is derived from a covert prepattern or an autonomous mechanism. In this study, using the zebrafish as the model system, we attempted to answer this classic question. We ablated the pigment cells in limited areas of zebrafish skin by using laser irradiation, and we observed the regeneration of the pigmentation pattern. Depending on the area ablated, different patterns regenerated in a specific time course. The regenerated patterns and the transition of the stripes during the regeneration process suggest that pattern formation is independent of the prepattern; furthermore, pat

SUBMITTER: Yamaguchi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1820822 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature