A complex choreography of cell movements shapes the vertebrate eye

Optic cup morphogenesis (OCM) generates the basic structure of the vertebrate eye. Although it is commonly depicted as a series of epithelial sheet folding events, this does not represent an empirically supported model. Here, we combine four-dimensional imaging with custom cell tracking software and...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inDevelopment (Cambridge) Vol. 139; no. 2; pp. 359 - 372
Main Authors Kwan, Kristen M, Otsuna, Hideo, Kidokoro, Hinako, Carney, Keith R, Saijoh, Yukio, Chien, Chi-Bin
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Company of Biologists 15.01.2012
Subjects
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Cell Cycle - physiology
Cell Movement - physiology
Chick Embryo
Danio rerio
Eye - embryology
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Lens, Crystalline - physiology
Morphogenesis - physiology
Retina - cytology
Retina - physiology
Retinal Pigment Epithelium - cytology
Retinal Pigment Epithelium - physiology
Signal Transduction - physiology
Time Factors
Zebrafish - embryology
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Optic cup morphogenesis (OCM) generates the basic structure of the vertebrate eye. Although it is commonly depicted as a series of epithelial sheet folding events, this does not represent an empirically supported model. Here, we combine four-dimensional imaging with custom cell tracking software and photoactivatable fluorophore labeling to determine the cellular dynamics underlying OCM in zebrafish. Although cell division contributes to growth, we find it dispensable for eye formation. OCM depends instead on a complex set of cell movements coordinated between the prospective neural retina, retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and lens. Optic vesicle evagination persists for longer than expected; cells move in a pinwheel pattern during optic vesicle elongation and retinal precursors involute around the rim of the invaginating optic cup. We identify unanticipated movements, particularly of central and peripheral retina, RPE and lens. From cell tracking data, we generate retina, RPE and lens subdomain fate maps, which reveal novel adjacencies that might determine corresponding developmental signaling events. Finally, we find that similar movements also occur during chick eye morphogenesis, suggesting that the underlying choreography is conserved among vertebrates.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ObjectType-Article-2
ObjectType-Feature-1
These authors contributed equally to this work
ISSN:0950-1991
1477-9129
DOI:10.1242/dev.071407