Gap junctions composed of connexions 41.8 and 39.4 are essential for colour pattern formation in zebrafish
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Germany
- Max Planck Institue for Developmental Biology, Germany
- NYU Langone Medical Center, United States
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Germany
Abstract
Interactions between all three pigment cell types are required to form the stripe pattern of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio), but their molecular nature is poorly understood. Mutations in leopard (leo), encoding Connexin41.8 (Cx41.8), a gap junction subunit, cause a phenotypic series of spotted patterns. A new dominant allele, leotK3, leads to a complete loss of the pattern, suggesting a dominant negative impact on another component of gap junctions. In a genetic screen we identified this component as Cx39.4 (luchs). Loss-of-function alleles demonstrate that luchs is required for stripe formation in zebrafish, however, the fins are almost not affected. Double mutants and chimeras, which show that leo and luchs are only required in xanthophores and melanophores, but not in iridophores, suggest that both connexins form heteromeric gap junctions. The phenotypes indicate that these promote homotypic interactions between melanophores and xanthophores, respectively, and those cells instruct the patterning of the iridophores.
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Animal experimentation: All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the rules of the State of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The protocol for ENU mutagenesis was approved by the Regierungspräsidium Tübingen (Aktenzeichen: 35/9185.81-5/Tierversuch-Nr. E 1/09).
Copyright
© 2014, Irion et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Gap junctions composed of connexions 41.8 and 39.4 are essential for colour pattern formation in zebrafish
eLife 3:e05125.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05125
