PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jonathan M. Werner
AU  - Maraki Y. Negesse
AU  - Dominique L. Brooks
AU  - Allyson R. Caldwell
AU  - Jafira M. Johnson
AU  - Rachel M. Brewster
TI  - Hingepoints and neural folds reveal conserved features of primary neurulation in the zebrafish forebrain
AID  - 10.1101/738161
DP  - 2020 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 738161
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/06/30/738161.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/06/30/738161.full
AB  - Primary neurulation is the process by which the neural tube, the central nervous system precursor, is formed from the neural plate. Incomplete neural tube closure occurs frequently, yet underlying causes remain poorly understood. Developmental studies in amniotes and amphibians have identified hingepoint and neural fold formation as key morphogenetic events and hallmarks of primary neurulation, the disruption of which causes neural tube defects. In contrast, the mode of neurulation in teleosts such as zebrafish has remained highly debated. Teleosts are thought to have evolved a unique pattern of neurulation, whereby the neural plate infolds in absence of hingepoints and neural folds (NFs), at least in the hindbrain/trunk where it has been studied. We report here on zebrafish forebrain morphogenesis where we identify these morphological landmarks. Our findings reveal a deeper level of conservation of neurulation than previously recognized and establish the zebrafish as a model to understand human neural tube development.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.