The physical roles of different posterior tissues in zebrafish axis elongation

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Georgina A. Stooke-Vaughan - , University of California at Santa Barbara (Author)
  • Sangwoo Kim - , University of California at Santa Barbara, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) (Author)
  • Shuo Ting Yen - , Clusters of Excellence PoL: Physics of Life, Chair of Tissue Dynamics (CMCB) (Author)
  • Kevin Son - , University of California at Santa Barbara (Author)
  • Samhita P. Banavar - , University of California at Santa Barbara, Princeton University (Author)
  • James Giammona - , University of California at Santa Barbara (Author)
  • David Kimelman - , University of Washington (Author)
  • Otger Campàs - , Clusters of Excellence PoL: Physics of Life, Chair of Tissue Dynamics (CMCB), University of California at Santa Barbara, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Center for Systems Biology Dresden (CSBD) (Author)

Abstract

Shaping embryonic tissues requires spatiotemporal changes in genetic and signaling activity as well as in tissue mechanics. Studies linking specific molecular perturbations to changes in the tissue physical state remain sparse. Here we study how specific genetic perturbations affecting different posterior tissues during zebrafish body axis elongation change their physical state, the resulting large-scale tissue flows, and posterior elongation. Using a custom analysis software to reveal spatiotemporal variations in tissue fluidity, we show that dorsal tissues are most fluid at the posterior end, rigidify anterior of this region, and become more fluid again yet further anteriorly. In the absence of notochord (noto mutants) or when the presomitic mesoderm is substantially reduced (tbx16 mutants), dorsal tissues elongate normally. Perturbations of posterior-directed morphogenetic flows in dorsal tissues (vangl2 mutants) strongly affect the speed of elongation, highlighting the essential role of dorsal cell flows in delivering the necessary material to elongate the axis.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number1839
JournalNature communications
Volume16
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2025
Peer-reviewedYes