RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Evaluation of BMP-mediated patterning in zebrafish embryos using a growing finite difference embryo model
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 585471
DO 10.1101/585471
A1 Linlin Li
A1 Xu Wang
A1 Mary C. Mullins
A1 David M. Umulis
YR 2019
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/03/22/585471.abstract
AB Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) play an important role in dorsal-ventral (DV) patterning of the early zebrafish embryo. BMP signaling is regulated by a network of extracellular and intracellular factors that impact the range and signaling of BMP ligands. Recent advances in understanding the mechanism of pattern formation support a source-sink mechanism, however it is not clear how the source-sink mechanism shapes patterns in 3D, nor how sensitive the pattern is along both the anteroposterior (AP) and DV axes of the embryo. We propose a new three-dimensional growing finite difference model to simulate the BMP patterning process during the blastula stage. This model provides a starting point to elucidate how different mechanisms and components work together in 3D to create and maintain the BMP gradient in the embryo. We also show how the 3D model fits the BMP signaling gradient data at multiple time points along both axes. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis of the model suggests that the spatiotemporal patterns of Chordin and BMP ligand gene expression are dominant drivers of shape in 3D and more work is needed to quantify the spatiotemporal profiles of gene and protein expression to further refine the models.