Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-20-2000
Publication Title
Developmental Dynamics
Abstract
A full understanding of somite development requires knowledge of the molecular genetic pathways for cell determination as well as the cellular behaviors that underlie segmentation, somite epithelialization, and somite patterning. The zebrafish has long been recognized as an ideal organism for cellular and histological studies of somite patterning. In recent years, genetics has proven to be a very powerful complementary approach to these embryological studies, as genetic screens for zebrafish mutants defective in somitogenesis have identified over 50 genes that are necessary for normal somite development. Zebrafish is thus an ideal system in which to analyze the role of specific gene products in regulating the cell behaviors that underlie somite development. We review what is currently known about zebrafish somite development and compare it where appropriate to somite development in chick and mouse. We discuss the processes of segmentation and somite epithelialization, and then review the patterning of cell types within the somite. We show directly, for the first time, that muscle cell and sclerotome migrations occur at the same time. We end with a look at the many questions about somitogenesis that are still unanswered.
Keywords
Dermamyotome, Fiber type, Musc le pioneer, Muscle, Myotome, Sclerotome, Segmentation, Somite, Somitogenesis, Zebrafish
Volume
219
Issue
3
First Page
287
Last Page
303
DOI
10.1002/1097-0177(2000)9999:99993.0.CO;2-A
ISSN
10588388
Rights
© 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc
Recommended Citation
Stickney, Heather L.; Barresi, Michael J.F.; and Devoto, Stephen H., "Somite Development in Zebrafish" (2000). Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/bio_facpubs/208
Comments
Archived as published. Open access article.