Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 104, Issue 12, Pages 4790-4793Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0607790104
Keywords
local self-enhancement and long-range inhibition; pigment patterns; reaction-diffusion mechanism
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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, pattern formation occurs by an autonomous mechanism that satisfies the condition of local self-enhancement and long-range inhibition. Because the zebrafish is the only striped animal for which detailed molecular genetic studies have been conducted, our finding will facilitate the identification of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie skin pattern formation.
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